The Detroit Lions started the offseason with a bang on Tuesday when they fired offensive coordinator John Morton after one season with the team. The move sparked instant conversation on who should replace him, with names ranging from former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury to soon-to-be former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken. But the first name revealed wasn’t who Lions fans were expecting.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Detroit kicked off its pursuit of a new OC by requesting to interview Commanders assistant quarterbacks coach David Blough, adding that he was “a sneaky hot name” for the position.
When you connect the dots, Blough makes a lot of sense for the Lions. Signed by Detroit as an undrafted free agent out of Purdue in the 2019 season, the 30-year-old didn’t have a lot of success on the field, but bounced around on several practice squads, including the Lions’, due to his intangibles off the gridiron.
While Pride of Detroit’s Jeremy Reisman noted that Blough has the endorsements of head coach Dan Campbell and former Lions OC Ben Johnson, his lack of experience is a major red flag that should have the Lions thinking twice.
Hiring David Blough Would Pass Up Better Opportunities for Lions' OC Search
When Johnson left to become head coach of the Chicago Bears, it left Campbell to make a seismic decision. While former passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand was considered for the position, the Lions chose to hire Morton from the Denver Broncos in part due to his previous work with Johnson to install the offense, per Reisman. But Morton’s hiring cast a shadow over another top-10 offensive year for the Lions, bringing issues in playcalling and finding a rhythm to the offense.
A benefit to hiring Blough would be that he knows Campbell’s system and would run the offense in the way he wants it. His previous experience with the team also brings some familiarity with Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown, and he’s had some success in crafting plays, including a game-winning touchdown in the Commanders’ 2024 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.
But looking closer, he’d bring the same concerns that Morton did. While Morton spent six years between offensive coordinator roles in the NFL, Blough has never been in that role. In fact, Blough has never been close to the offensive coordinator position, with his highest role coming late this season when Commanders QB coach Tavita Pritchard left the team to become Stanford’s head coach.
There are exceptions to youth in the NFL, as Declan Doyle of the Chicago Bears and Grant Udinski of the Jacksonville Jaguars have enjoyed success in the OC role in their late 20s. But both of those teams entered the year as rebuilding projects as opposed to a team like the Lions that had Super Bowl aspirations entering the season.
Hiring Blough would also pass up some more experienced options on the board. While Monken and Kingsbury may be pipe dreams, former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll and former Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan could be looking for jobs after their dismissals earlier in the year. Others, such as Giants interim head coach/OC Mike Kafka makes sense and could bring a level of upside without having to turn the keys over to a green prospect like Blough.
Perhaps this is the Lions leaving no stone unturned in their search for a new OC. But Blough brings plenty of risk for a team that believes their championship window is now.