I dont have a dislike for Russ at all as a player and feel ashamed for nothing. To this day, his is the only jersey I own. It's just amazing to me how even now, given the obvious messaging coming from current players, past and present re how fractured the lockeroom was given the bubble Russ was provided around him, a years worth of tape of him in Denver playing with the exact same holes in his game that he had here (just without PCs training wheels to keep him looking good), his current teammates calling him out, his obvious self delusional, narcisim (a characteristic that has obviously stunted his growth as a qb), and as if all of that wasn't enough... his backup... Geno Smith, taking his spot and doing sooo many of the things it was thought an offense under PC wasn't capable of... that after all of that, there's still this belief that the guy should be given recognition as an all-time great QB because of stats he acquired due in large part to the team and system within which he played.
And after all of that... you don't think that a coach who makes his money as a qb guru doesn't look at the situation in Denver and say... no thanks. Sure, Payton might look sideways at the ownership situation, but do you honestly think that he looks at Russ and says
...'man, too bad, I could do great things with that guy...' ? Payton worked with Brees and made a HOF legacy doing so. He of all people is capable of looking at the tape and understanding that if Denver is hell bent on Keeping Russ, that he will HAVE to work with a guy who literally lost games because he couldn't make simple reads. He walked when his option in NO was Winston and his HOF QB retired. He doesn't strike me as the type to waste his time on a player he either can't work with or a candidate he can't mold into something great. Yes, the reason he gave for stepping away was to spend time with family. I doubt that would have been the case if in 2022 he was looking at a Drew Brees in his prime at QB.
It's like being a really bad cook and having your friends turn down your offer to host dinner. Sure, they all might have verifiable 'other things ' they've committed to, but if you were Chef Ramsey with a pan in your hand, they'd probably find some free time.
Same with Quinn. Say what you want. The dude just turned down a HC gig for a franchise that a year ago was pegged as the hottest in the league because they acquired Russ... to return to the Cowboys and Dak, to try to make a 3rd run at a championship. ? That's code for... no thanks, what I've got here is ok for now, I'll wait until a better opportunity comes along.' Quinn knows who and what Russ is. This was his chance to work with him. It likely won't come again. He went back to Dallas.
Where's there's smoke...
But many were seeing the smoke with Russ for years and got flamed for it. Not surprising i suppose that he continues to get a pass.