Sean Payton fired back at outside perceptions regarding his relationship with Russell Wilson.

The Denver Broncos emerged victorious on Sunday over the Los Angeles Chargers. However, a lot of buzz about the Broncos has stemmed from their decision prior to their Week 17 win. Denver benched quarterback Russell Wilson for the final two games of the season. On Sunday, Sean Payton took time to address a particular narrative regarding his relationship with Wilson.

Some have concluded that the veteran head coach didn’t like his quarterback. Payton fired back at this notion after his team’s win. He said the entire idea came from those disconnected from the Denver organization.

“This idea that he and I don’t have a good relationship comes from people further away from our program. The further away people are from the program, the more they jump to (conclusions). It is what it is,” the Broncos head coach said, via Denver Post reporter Ryan McFadden.

What happened between Sean Payton, Russell Wilson and the Broncos?
The Broncos lost two in a row prior to Sunday’s win over the Chargers. First, they were blown out on the road 42-17 by the Detroit Lions in Week 15. The following week, they dropped a close game to the New England Patriots on a last-second field go.

News broke of this move ahead of the Chargers game. However, things were in motion prior to the official move being made. In fact, this reportedly dates back to when Denver beat the Kansas City Chiefs in late October.

The Broncos told Wilson he must remove injury guarantees from his contract if he wanted to remain the starter. Benching the veteran signal-caller now ensures those guarantees never come to pass, as they minimize his injury risk by having him as the backup.

Denver’s victory puts them at 8-8 heading into the final week of the regular season. Jarrett Stidham threw for 224 yards and a touchdown in the victory. It was the Auburn product’s first start as a member of the Broncos.

Sean Payton and the Broncos finish out the regular season on the road. They travel to take on the Las Vegas Raiders as they look for their first winning record since the 2016 NFL season.