Nathaniel Hackett was entirely unsurprised by Sean Payton’s low blow

Broncos head coach Sean Payton fired some pretty regrettable statements at Jets’ Nathaniel Hackett, but Hackett isn’t stooping down to that level.

On Tuesday, New York Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett washed his hands of Sean Payton’s dirty comments and set a new tone for this inter-franchise war.

Payton’s comments about the Broncos’ Hackett era were startling, incisive, a little reckless, and plain out mean, but Hackett chose to take the high road in his first direct response to the ex-Saints coach.

For whatever reason, Broncos head coach Sean Payton chose the Jets as his punching bag this offseason. Payton took calculated swings at everything from Denver’s locker room culture to Hackett’s alleged dirty hands, and he even threw in an incredibly biased take on the Jets appearing on “Hard Knocks” in 2023.

In retaliation, some Jets members lashed out at Payton with unspeakable anger and wrath, writing down his name in the black book.

Hackett, however, chose to keep things civil, saying that even though Payton “violated the coaches’ code” he was glad the Jets got all this manufactured drama out of the way.

Jets OC Nathaniel Hackett shrugs off Sean Payton’s fiery insults

Payton should probably be exiled from the Brotherhood of NFL Coaches after the vile and nasty things he said, all of it unprovoked.

That’s not to say Hackett was the best head coach in the league last year — he had his share of issues revving up the offense and fixing Russell Wilson, and his clock management skills gave fans migraines. Still, he was brought onto the Jets for a reason, that reason being Aaron Rodgers.

In 2023, Hackett, Rodgers, and the Jets are on a mission to accomplish something far bigger and more important, something that can’t be reduced by Payton’s petty and toxic comments.

Looking back at the season’s end, Hackett will be remembered as the more respectable side in his decision to not engage in meaningless trash-talk with the enemy. Week 5’s matchup between the Jets and Broncos is set to be one of the league’s most highly anticipated games, and Hackett knows right now he needs to choose his words carefully. Insults and zingers won’t help teams win any more than hiring a formerly retired coach. The game is afoot.