The Detroit Lions will be without several familiar faces once the 2025 NFL season begins. While several beloved players left in free agency for new opportunities, the Lions also lost a handful of coaching staff members this offseason — including offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who's since become the Chicago Bears head coach.
After Johnson left, the Lions didn't waste any time in hiring John Morton as their new OC. The 55-year-old coach previously worked in Detroit as an offensive assistant (2022) and was most recently the Denver Broncos pass game coordinator, leaving time to tell what kind of mark he'll have on the Lions' attack.
But while some fans and players are already impressed by Morton based on his resume alone, one of the Lions' top playmakers has admitted that his new OC still has to prove himself.
Lions TE Sam LaPorta Admits OC John Morton Must Prove Himself
Lions tight end Sam LaPorta sat down with FanDuel TV's Kay Adams earlier this week for an interview at the 2025 NFLPA Classic Golf Tournament. When asked about his thoughts regarding Morton, the third-year playmaker made it clear that his new OC must prove himself before judgment is passed.
"I've sat down with (Morton) for maybe 10 or 15 minutes. I got to know him personally. But as a coach, it’s yet to be determined," LaPorta told Adams. "We have a great future in front of us, we’re excited to work with each other."
LaPorta's comments shouldn't be surprising to anyone. A brief 15-minute conversation is hardly enough time to get to know how a coach operates on the gridiron. On top of that, Johnson was the only OC that the Lions TE played under, meaning it's understandable if he's unsure about working with a new face.
Hopefully, Morton takes advantage of LaPorta's talents, much like Johnson did. The former Iowa TE is already among the NFL's best tight ends after just two seasons, having 146 catches for 1,615 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns across 33 career games so far.
If that isn't impressive enough, Pro Football Focus also ranked LaPorta as the sixth- and 10th-best TE in the last two seasons with grades of 77.0 and 73.6 in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Morton and the rest of the Lions coaching staff must find a way to play to LaPorta's strengths if they want to find success in 2025 and beyond. After all, Detroit owns an impressive 13-2 record in regular-season and playoff games where the former 2023 second-rounder scores a touchdown, further highlighting his importance to the aerial attack.
Fortunately, the future is looking bright for LaPorta and the Motor City. The Lions currently hold the fifth-best Super Bowl 60 odds (+1000) on FanDuel Sportsbook as the third week of NFL free agency wraps up.
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