Things didn’t pan out for former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator John Morton in his lone season in the Motor City. A series of offensive struggles forced head coach Dan Campbell to take Morton's play-calling duties away in the middle of the season, culminating in a split as soon as the campaign ended.
Despite those struggles, it appears that a bumpy season hasn’t done much to damage his reputation. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Morton has landed back on his feet as the Denver Broncos "are expected" to hire him as the team’s new passing game coordinator.
The move is a homecoming of sorts as Morton held the same role for the Broncos during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. It's also an expected development that the Lions may have seen coming when they decided to fire Morton after one season in Detroit.
Ex-Lions OC John Morton Reunites with Sean Payton After Lost Season in Detroit
Morton has been connected to the Broncos both before he arrived in Detroit and after his firing. Denver head coach Sean Payton gave a positive review when Morton was hired by the Lions, expecting him to accomplish more than he did, per Billy Riccette of Lions Wire.
"“(Morton is) super passionate. He works his tail off. He’s great with film study and ideas. He’s one of those guys that will bring you red zone, third down, and a lot of information. We were together in New Orleans several times, and then it’s a chance where he will be calling the plays... He will do a great job."Sean Payton, Broncos HC
While Detroit ranked fourth in scoring and fifth in total offense, something didn’t quite click following former OC Ben Johnson’s departure for the Chicago Bears. As mentioned before, it wasn't long before Campbell took over play-calling duties.
After being relieved of his job in January, Morton quickly latched on with the Broncos as an offensive consultant for the playoffs. Quarterback Bo Nix’s ankle fracture, suffered in a divisional round playoff win over the Buffalo Bills, threw a wrench in his redemption arc, but Morton was still credited for influencing a seven-yard touchdown pass from Nix to offensive lineman Frank Crum during the 33-30 overtime victory.
“So ‘Johnny Mo’ was just working with us, consulting from Detroit,” Payton said via Sports Illustrated’s Chad Jensen. “Detroit ran that play against Buffalo in the regular season last year. The tackle, the jumbo for Detroit, would be on the other end. When we saw that, we saw it as a short-yardage play, but we saw it as a short-yardage red-zone play... A little short motion bumps, who’s covering who, and that’s one of those Rudy plays. Your whole team goes crazy when that happens.”
One could have imagined what Morton could have done if backup QB Jarrett Stidham hadn't replaced Nix for the AFC Championship Game, which Denver lost 10-7. Still, the former Lions OC appears to have made an impression on Payton, who is reuniting with Morton after his failed season in Detroit.
For now, the Lions will hope that new OC Drew Petzing will have better results as the head man of Detroit’s offense. Meanwhile, time will tell if returning to a familiar setting in Denver will help Morton get his coaching career back on track.