The Detroit Lions already have one eye on the offseason ahead of a meaningless Week 18 matchup against the Chicago Bears. The only possible motivation that Dan Campbell's unit can find is attempting to finish strong and make the playoff road far more difficult for a division rival. With this in mind, there is going to be meaningful changes in the offseason, starting by finding a capable play caller with both offensive coordinator John Morton and head coach Campbell failing in the role. Still, Morton is holding out hope that the franchise will retain him heading into 2026.
The Athletic's Colton Pouncey provided Morton's comment, "I'd like to be here. I love it here. ...I love the organization. It's my home. ...So, whatever happens, happens." Objectively, this is heartbreaking for a coach who has been working his way into this role since 1998. However, this is the brutality of a business that only cares about winning, and Morton simply isn't impacting Detroit in any meaningful way.
Campbell needs to bring in a coordinator capable of calling plays and best utilizing all of Detroit's weapons. This doesn't leave room for Morton to return in any meaningful role if the Lions make the correct decision and bring in a capable offensive leader. Detroit needs a fresh start, and this means ignoring the veteran coach and moving in a new direction.
Lions Must Ignore John Morton's Plea to Stay with Detroit in 2026 Season
Current Bears head coach Ben Johnson was always going to be impossible to replace after putting together one of the league's most elite offensive attacks. Johnson's creativity and ability to perfectly play into Campbell's aggressive coaching tendencies set Detroit's expectations incredibly high in many ways, setting Morton up for failure. While the Lions are unlikely to find the heights they reached under Johnson, there is clearly an ability to upgrade over their current options.
Neither Campbell nor Morton could figure out how to consistently utilize David Montgomery or take pressure off Jared Goff. Another example of the collective failure would be often putting two tight-end sets on the field in favor of giving talented rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa more reps. This perhaps would have been forgivable if Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright weren't both dealing with season-ending injuries.
This reduced Detroit's tight end depth to the point that practice-squad pieces were playing starting roles. Still, the Lions offense refused to make obvious adjustments with neither Campbell nor Morton making simple personnel changes. It is indicative of a season full of frustration, and why the team cannot afford the offensive coordinator to return in the 2026 season.
Detroit needs a fresh and creative perspective that will take pressure off the Detroit head coach and allow him to focus attention on the bigger picture. Unfortunately, this requires parting ways with Morton and forcing the veteran coach to find a new landing spot.