Boomer Esiason: Jets should circle Broncos game after Sean Payton comments

Former New York Jets quarterback and current "The NFL Today" analyst Boomer Esiason believes Gang Green should use recent comments offered by Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton as bulletin-board material. 

"I would circle that," Esiason said about the Jets' Week 5 game at the Broncos on Oct. 8 during Friday's edition of the WFAN "Boomer and Gio" program, per Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "If I were (Jets head coach) Rob Saleh, I would walk in there today and have the Broncos written on the board. I wouldn’t just use that against the Broncos and Sean Payton. I would use that against the entire NFL. 'This is what the league thinks of us.'" 

Payton generated numerous local and national headlines when he blasted current Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett for the job Hackett did as Broncos head coach last season. Additionally, Payton suggested that the 2023 Jets won't live up to the hype despite acquiring star quarterback Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers and then getting Rodgers to accept a massive pay cut to give the franchise some salary-cap savings. 

"The Jets already had a good team," Esiason continued. "They just needed a quarterback..." 

Esiason also indicated that Payton violated an unwritten rule as it pertains to verbally eviscerating a team's previous regime regardless of that administration's failures. 

"(Former Jets coach) Richie Kotite went 4-32, and he got replaced by the mentor for one Sean Payton, and that would be Bill Parcells (following the 1996 season)," Esiason remarked. "I don’t ever remember Bill Parcells going after Richie Kotite." 

Esiason had Kotite as a head coach for the 1995 campaign.  

On the surface, Jets-versus-Broncos typically doesn't make for an interesting AFC rivalry matchup. Considering Saleh quickly fired back at Payton, that Week 5 clash at Empower Field at Mile High could turn into must-see television even for neutral fans and viewers.