The Detroit Lions made their first major move of the offseason on Tuesday, firing offensive coordinator John Morton, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Colton Pouncy. The firing comes just under one year after Morton replaced Ben Johnson as the team’s offensive coordinator, and the natural follow-up question is who the Lions will choose to replace him.
The Lions will have plenty of options as the NFL’s coaching carousel continues to spin in the coming days, and several coaches should be on their list. One of the best options could be Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who has not been officially fired but is unlikely to return after John Harbaugh’s dismissal on Tuesday afternoon.
While Monken brings a lot to love, his candidacy comes with a catch, as he is a coach who may have bigger opportunities on the horizon.
Todd Monken’s Candidacy Could Be a Familiar Story for Lions OC Search
There is no direct correlation between Todd Monken and Dan Campbell, as their coaching careers have rarely intertwined. But when looking at Monken’s track record, he’s someone who utilizes the principles that Campbell should want in his offense moving forward.
Monken’s professional coaching career got off to a rough start with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns, but he got it on the right track when he joined Kirby Smart’s staff with the Georgia Bulldogs for three seasons from 2020 to 2022. Those seasons were the peak of Georgia’s dynasty with national championships in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, and Monken’s offense was a big part of it, averaging 501.2 yards of total offense and 205.3 rushing yards per game in his final season in Athens.
The ground game convinced Harbaugh to give him a try in Baltimore, and it produced immediate results. The Ravens ranked fourth in points, sixth in total offense, and first in rushing yardage and attempts in Monken’s first season in 2023. The success continued with the Ravens ranking third in scoring, first in total offense, and first in rushing yards during 2024. Despite a down year with plenty of injuries in 2025, Baltimore ranked 11th in scoring and second in rushing offense this season.
With an ability to get the most out of the rushing game and utilize plenty of weapons, Monken should be on Campbell’s radar after firing Morton. The Lions were solid statistically, ranking third in yards per play and fourth in scoring this season. However, they never found a consistent ground game, ranking 14th in rushing offense and having lulls with playmakers such as Jameson Williams and David Montgomery.
This should all have Campbell showing up at Monken’s doorstep with an extra caffeinated coffee and a job offer in hand, but there’s a good chance that someone will have already beaten him to it. The catch in this equation is that Monken has already been mentioned as a head coaching candidate, and according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, he’s already received a request to interview for the Cleveland Browns position vacated by Kevin Stefanski’s firing and “received multiple requests last year and should again.”
Lions fans know how this works, as Ben Johnson was a top head coaching candidate for two years before he took the Bears job last winter. This could turn into a similar problem if they pursue recognizable names such as Stefanski, Brian Daboll, or Kliff Kingsbury.
That's not even to mention that a reason for Harbaugh's firing was tied to him wanting to stick with Monken as his OC, according to Diana Russini. This adds only another potential obstacle for Detroit in terms of trying to hire him, since he may follow the ex-Ravens HC to his next gig.
All of this could lead the Lions to a similarly unrecognizable name as Morton’s was a year ago, and represents a huge challenge for Campbell in finding an upgrade at coordinator.