Vikings fans gain a new (and surprising) ally in hatred for Sean Payton

For more than a decade and a half now, Minnesota Vikings fans haven't been shy about expressing their collective hatred of Sean Payton, whose New Orleans Saints robbed the Vikes of their first trip to the Super Bowl since 1976 by taking a 31-28 overtime victory over Brett Favre & Co. in the 2009 NFC Championship Game. The Saints, of course, went on to upset Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl 44, thus securing the franchise's first-ever championship.

Losses happen, of course, but that defeat was particularly painful, and we're talking in the literal sense for Favre, as the three-time NFL MVP took a ridiculous number of hard hits and was even knocked out of the game for a time with an ankle injury after a low shot from New Orleans defensive end Bobby McCray.

What the world found out later, of course, after the NFL had conducted a lengthy investigation, is that the Saints had implemented a bounty program that rewarded players for knocking opposing players out of a game. And while Payton may not have started said program, he was implicated by the league for orchestrating a cover-up and also lying to league officials during the investigation, which ultimately led to him being suspended for the entire 2012 season.

So, naturally, Vikings fans have been extremely angry with Payton, and they certainly have every right to be. Mocking Minnesota fans with a Skol clap during a Vikings-Saints Divisional Round matchup at U.S. Bank Stadium, which the Vikes took in comeback fashion, certainly didn't help him.

It's been a minute since Bountygate was discussed at the national level, but that all changed this week when Vikings fans gained a new ally in their disdain for Payton, that being none other than Russell Wilson.

Russell Wilson torched Sean Payton on social media after "classless" comments. Minnesota Vikings fans likely stand with him.

Wilson, of course, spent one year with Payton as a member of the Denver Broncos in 2023, and the two were clearly never on the same page, which led to Wilson being released following the season.

After one year with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wilson signed with the New York Giants this past offseason but was recently benched in favor of rookie Jaxson Dart, who gave Payton's Broncos all they could handle this past Sunday before Denver mounted a miraculous comeback, scoring 33 fourth-quarter points to steal a one-point win.

Afterward, Payton praised Dart, saying the Giants had "found a little spark with the rookie, which isn't out of the ordinary. But he then took things a step further by saying, "I was talking to (New York Giants owner, president, and CEO) John Mara not too long ago, and I said, 'We were hoping that change would've happened long after our game.'"

In other words, Payton would have preferred to play against Wilson, not Dart, as he apparently felt the Broncos would've had a far easier time getting a victory.

On Tuesday, Wilson took to his official X account to respond, and he certainly didn't hold back.

"Classless… but not surprised….Didn’t realize you’re still bounty hunting 15+ years later through the media."

Hit him where it hurts, Russ!

The response comes as a bit of a surprise, as Wilson typically isn't one to engage in a public feud, as he's long been one of the most polished players in the league. But Vikings fans are obviously loving seeing this reaction go viral and are clearly happy to have him on board as an ally against Payton.