The past few weeks have been quite tumultuous for the Detroit Lions. They started the postseason aiming for the Super Bowl, but that soon fell apart. Following their elimination by the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round, alterations to the Lions coaching staff began to surface rapidly.
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson accepted the position of head coach for the Chicago Bears. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn departed to accept the position with the New York Jets. The Lions substituted him for Kelvin Sheppard.
A gap still exists at OC, but a leading candidate has surfaced. While appearing on the Pat McAfee Show, ESPN’s Adam Schefter mentioned that John Morton is a strong contender for the offensive coordinator position.
Lions Speculation: Adam Schefter Believes John Morton is a Genuine Contender for OC Position
Schefter stated, “I anticipate John Morton will serve as the offensive coordinator in Detroit.”
Morton has applied for the open role and made a strong impression on Detroit’s management. In the last two seasons, the 55-year-old served as the pass game coordinator for the Denver Broncos. Before arriving in Denver, Morton worked in Detroit as a Senior offensive assistant during the 2022 season.
Prior to these two positions, Morton had various roles with the Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, and New York Jets. He served as the offensive coordinator for the Jets in 2017, yet possesses an exceptional offensive intellect. And in his only season with Detroit, he made a positive impact on them.
Head coach Dan Campbell stated, “John Morton, you know, Johnny has become a superstar and he accomplished numerous things for us last year that we’ve retained.” I truly believe that it also benefited Tanner.
If he secures the offensive coordinator position, he will have quite a challenge ahead. The Lions ended the regular season ranked second in the league for total offense (409.5) and passing offense (263.2). They ranked sixth in rushing offense (146.4) and first in scoring offense (33.2).
The Lions are still in the process of finding an offensive coordinator, but Morton is a name to keep an eye on.