John Morton seemed like an obvious choice to replace Ben Johnson as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator in 2025. But Lions head coach Dan Campbell faced plenty of competition to bring in Morton, including from his former OC.
The Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett reported Sunday that Johnson pursued adding Morton to his first coaching staff with the Chicago Bears. Morton also had the opportunity to remain on Sean Payton’s staff with the Denver Broncos. The 2024 campaign was Morton’s fourth with Payton.
But Morton chose to accept the offensive coordinator role with the Lions.
Campbell addressed how he courted Morton this past offseason in an interview with Birkett.
“I didn’t know Ben would call him, but I had a good hunch that Ben would call him. I mean, he’d be crazy not to,” Campbell told Birkett. “That’s the thing, Johnny is like a behind-the-scenes grinder. He’s not somebody that has ambition to be a head coach, he just wants to coach offensive football.
“That’s all he gives a crap about, and then just — that’s it. And so anybody that’s looking for somebody that’s creative and is a grinder, you’re going to want John Morton.”
Morton was previously on the Lions coaching staff with Campbell in 2022. Morton served as a senior offensive assistant that season.
Dan Campbell Won John Morton ‘Sweepstakes’
If Morton had stayed in Denver or went to Chicago to coach for Johnson, he wouldn’t have been an offensive coordinator. If calling plays was Morton’s top desire, then the Lions were the most appealing option.
But it’s possible Morton was simply intrigued at coaching with Campbell and the Lions again. SI on Lions’ John Maakaron wrote on Sunday that the new Detroit offensive coordinator did his homework on the role before accepting it.
“Morton contacted his close confidants in football and was highlight encouraged to accept the offensive coordinator position in Detroit,” wrote Maakaron.
Besides 2022, Morton previously coached with Campbell with the New Orleans Saints. Campbell and Morton were both assistants on Payton’s staff in New Orleans from 2015-16.
Morton left the Saints to become the New York Jets offensive coordinator in 2017. That’s his only previous offensive coordinator role in the league.
The past two seasons, he served as a passing game coordinator for the Broncos.
Campbell and Johnson coached together with the Miami Dolphins from 2012-15. Johnson and Morton only worked together one season — 2022 in Detroit.
Johnson hired Declan Doyle as his first offensive coordinator with the Bears. Doyle worked the past six seasons as an assistant for the Saints and Broncos. Five of those campaigns were under Payton.
With the Broncos, Doyle was Payton’s tight ends coach.
Former Lions offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi is entering his third season as Payton’s offensive coordinator with the Broncos.
‘Grinder’ Morton Comes From Jon Gruden’s West Coast Offense
Besides Campbell and Payton, Morton has also previously worked with former NFL head coach Jon Gruden. Morton was a senior offensive assistant during Gruden’s second tenure with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders.
In Detroit, Morton will likely bring a blend of Gruden and Payton’s offensive principles, which are based on the Bill Walsh and Mike Holmgren West Coast offense.
In addition to Campbell, Gruden called Morton a grinder. Campbell told Birkett that he is looking forward to the “few wrinkles” Morton could bring to the Detroit offense.
Morton has big shoes to fill. Under Johnson, the Lions were first in points scored and second in yards last season. The 2024 season was Detroit’s third consecutive year being ranked in the top five of both categories.
Before last season, the last time the Lions accomplished that feat three years in a row was 1952-54.
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