After a rocky start to the season, Denver coach Sean Payton has led the Broncos to a three-game winning streak, which will be severely tested when they host the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8. After an inconsistent start to the season, Denver is 5-2 and sits second in the AFC West Division behind the 5-1 Chiefs.

Before the marquee AFC West game, former Denver quarterback Russell Wilson threw a subtle jab at Payton while predicting the winner of the Week 8 clash.

Ex-Denver Broncos QB Sends Subtle Jab at Sean Payton

During Sunday’s pregame segment on “NFL on CBS,” Wilson mulled over his pick before selecting the Broncos to win behind quarterback Bo Nix’s improved performances.

“Guys, is it a ‘Let’s Ride’ moment or not? I got the Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, Super Bowl champion, but nobody can catch the ball,” Wilson said. “And I got the Denver Broncos. They were struggling on offense, but my guy Bo Nix stepped up in a big way, and listen, he got some explosive plays. 62-yard touchdown.”

He added, “So, I’m riding with the Denver Broncos; I’m back in Denver. And Sean Payton, you may like me, you may not, but I’m picking you.”

After making his prediction, Wilson punctuated the pick by throwing the ball away. The 10-time Pro Bowler had a rocky stint in Denver, playing under Payton for one of his two seasons, going 11-19 as a starter before he was benched in late 2023 and released in 2024.

Wilson was released with the then-largest dead cap hit in NFL history before playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants, and later transitioned to CBS Sports as an analyst in June.

Meanwhile, Payton has fully backed Nix as the franchise’s quarterback despite a slow start to the season after returning from a broken ankle. Last season, Nix led the Broncos to their first playoff win since the 2015 season when they beat the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round.

Including the playoffs, Nix recorded eight game-winning drives in 2025, the most in a season in the Super Bowl era by a player aged 25 or younger.

This season, with Nix under center, Denver has been inconsistent on offense, earning a PFN’s NFL Offense Impact grade of 70.7 (No. 26 in the NFL) and is notorious for slow starts.

After a 2-2 start to the season and the team’s offensive struggles, Payton took back play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Davis Webb, and the team’s turnaround will be tested to the limit by a Chiefs defense that has earned aPFN’s NFL Defense Impact score of 78.6 (No. 12 in the league).