After being mentioned as a potential candidate, Denver Broncos passing game coordinator John Morton is reportedly emerging as a strong contender for the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator position. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Sunday that Morton had interviewed with Lions head coach Dan Campbell and was gaining traction as the likely choice.
On Monday’s episode of The Pat McAfee Show, ESPN’s Adam Schefter essentially confirmed Morton as the hire to replace Ben Johnson. Schefter later reported that the Lions are actively working to finalize the hiring process with Morton.
“Lions are working to hire Broncos pass game coordinator Johnny Morton as their offensive coordinator and the coach to replace Ben Johnson, per sources. He is traveling to Detroit to meet with the team. Morton worked in Detroit before and could soon be doing it again.”
Lions set to hire John Morton as new offensive coordinator
Morton has significant connections to Campbell and the Lions. He served as a senior offensive assistant on the Lions’ staff in 2022, and Campbell praised Morton in 2023 for the impact he had on passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand.
“John Morton, man, Johnny was – Johnny’s a superstar now and there’s a number of things that he did for us last year that are things that we’ve kept,” Campbell said. “And I really feel like that helped Tanner as well. And he took a lot of that, and he learned from that, and he’s grown from that.”
Morton also worked with Campbell during his second stint as the New Orleans Saints’ wide receivers coach in 2016, when Campbell was in his first season as the Saints’ tight ends coach under head coach Sean Payton. Most recently, Morton has spent two years as Denver’s passing game coordinator under Payton, a mentor to Campbell.
During his season-ending press conference last week, Campbell emphasized his desire to maintain as much continuity as possible within the Lions’ offense under a new coordinator. This statement suggested an internal candidate might have the edge—such as Engstrand, running backs coach Scottie Montgomery, or former wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El—though an external hire was not ruled out.
While Morton technically comes from outside the current Lions staff, his alignment with Campbell’s offensive philosophy makes him an ideal choice for the position.
