After being mentioned as a potential candidate, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported on Sunday that Denver Broncos passing game coordinator John Morton had emerged as a leading contender for the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator position. Morton had already interviewed with Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
On Monday’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter confidently suggested Morton would be the choice to replace Ben Johnson. Schefter later confirmed in a report that the Lions are actively working to hire Morton.
According to Schefter:
“The Lions are working to hire Broncos pass game coordinator Johnny Morton as their offensive coordinator to replace Ben Johnson, per sources. He is traveling to Detroit to meet with the team. Morton previously worked in Detroit and could soon return.”
Lions Preparing to Hire John Morton as Offensive Coordinator
Morton has strong ties to Dan Campbell. He served as the Lions’ senior offensive assistant in 2022, and in 2023, Campbell praised Morton for his contributions to passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand’s development
“John Morton, man, Johnny’s a superstar now,” Campbell said. “There are several things he did for us last year that we’ve kept. I think it helped Tanner, too—he learned and grew from that.”
Morton also worked with Campbell during the 2016 season as the New Orleans Saints wide receivers coach, while Campbell was in his first year as the tight ends coach under Sean Payton. Most recently, Morton spent the past two years as Denver’s passing game coordinator, again working under Payton, Campbell’s mentor.
At his end-of-season press conference, Campbell emphasized his desire to maintain the Lions’ offensive system as much as possible under a new coordinator, hinting that an internal hire could be likely. However, Morton, though technically an external candidate, appears to be philosophically aligned with Campbell, making him an ideal choice for the position.
