Through all the media praise of Broncos coach Sean Payton for his supposedly deliberate and intentional strategy of publicly criticizing former Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett and others (including people still with the Broncos) in comments to Jarrett Bell of USA Today, there was one possibility that many ignored.
What if Payton simply made a mistake by saying what he said?
Meeting with reporters on Friday, that was Payton’s explanation. He made a mistake, and he regrets it.
“I had one of those moments where I still had my Fox hat on, and not my coaching hat on,” Payton told reporters. “And, you know, I said this to the team in the meeting yesterday. We’ve had a great offseason relative to that. And I’ve been preaching that message, and here I am, the veteran. You know, stepping in it. I was a learning experience for me. It was a mistake, obviously. I needed a little bit more filter. . . . .
“I said what I said, and obviously I needed a little bit more restraint, and I regret that.”
It was the right play. It was the only play. No broader strategy was served by castigating Hackett, or by firing shots at colleagues for their coddling of quarterback Russell Wilson.
It’s actually refreshing. We all make mistakes, from time to time. We can either own up to the mistake, or we can double down. Payton picked the right path.