The Detroit Lions wasted little time parting ways with former offensive coordinator John Morton. This decision came despite head coach Dan Campbell calling the plays for the latter half of the season with the same or worse results. While Morton was never the answer, it wasn't a difficult decision to part ways despite his making it known he wanted to remain in Detroit.
Now, it seems that the Lions weren't scared to cut ties because of the lack of known interest in Morton. While rumors are flying around about the coaching openings, Morton's name hasn't exactly been included in the mix.
However, there is still reason to think that Morton will find a landing spot once one of the nine current head coach openings is filled. Teams are going to be forced to settle for their third or fourth options in a limited coach market and then turn their focus to bringing in an offensive staff. This is when Morton seems more likely to earn a new role, regardless of how big or small that might be.
Ex-Lions OC John Morton's Unemployment Won't Last Forever
Morton has been coaching in the league since 1998, offering incredible experience to any young coaching staff. Before joining the Lions as the offensive coordinator, the veteran coach was with Sean Payton's Denver Broncos as the passing game coordinator. Prior to this, Morton was a senior offensive assistant with both the Lions and the Las Vegas Raiders.
No question, if he wants to continue his career, there is going to be ample opportunity.
For the Lions, this isn't evidence that they made the wrong decision, but simply speaks to the fact that Morton wasn't suited to be a coordinator. He needs to be in a lesser role on a different staff that allows Detroit a chance to start fresh. Morton's past accomplishments outweigh the one recent failure and will lead to chances as we go deeper into the offseason.
To put it more simply, teams are understandably going to target Brian Daboll and Mike McDaniel, looking for coaches with experience as proven OCs. This leaves Morton as an uninteresting option for franchises needing to sell meaningful change to frustrated fan bases.
Morton is going to get his chance; it simply is going to be deeper into the offseason once the market has become more settled. Looking around the league, it is fair to wonder if perhaps a return to New Orleans might be in order to join Kellen Moore's staff as a veteran presence. Morton was a part of Sean Payton's staff with the Saints, serving as the receivers coach in the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Regardless of where, there is no doubt that it is simply a waiting game for an accomplished coach who is going to be given another chance.