The Detroit Lions have their new offensive coordinator.
According to multiple reports, the Lions will hire former Denver Broncos passing-game coordinator John Morton to the role, where he will replace the departed Ben Johnson. Morton, 55, previously spent the 2022 season with the Lions as a senior offensive assistant before moving on to Denver for the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.
He had previously worked with Broncos head coach Sean Payton in New Orleans during the 2015 and 2016 seasons as the wide receivers coach. He crossed paths with Lions head coach Dan Campbell in the latter of those two seasons, as Campbell was hired as assistant head coach and tight ends coach under Payton in 2016.
Morton also previously worked as the offensive coordinator of the 2017 New York Jets under then-head coach Todd Bowles, and he was the offensive coordinator at USC in 2009 and 2010. He has also spent time with the Raiders in both Oakland and Las Vegas, as well as the San Francisco 49ers and the University of San Diego.
Morton's hiring means suspected (but not confirmed) internal candidates -- such as offensive like coach Hank Fraley, running backs coach Scottie Montgomery, quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell and passing-game coordinator Tanner Engstrand -- will not get the job. Fraley previously interviewed for the Seahawks offensive coordinator job, but that went to Klint Kubiak.
It is not yet known whether any, or how many, of those offensive assistants will remain in Detroit to work on Morton's new offensive staff. The Lions already lost wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El and assistant quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett, so staving off any further brain drain on the offensive side of the ball is important.
