Lions fire OC John Morton after missing playoffs
John Morton’s stint running the Detroit Lions offense is officially over after just one season. Following a wildly inconsistent 2025 campaign, the Lions have moved on from Morton as offensive coordinator, signaling a clear reset on that side of the ball.
On paper, Detroit’s offense appeared productive, finishing among the league’s top five in scoring. But that number masked deeper issues that became harder to ignore as the season wore on.
Most alarming was a sharp decline in the run game, which fell apart after delivering one of the strongest rushing performances in franchise history the year before.
Morton was brought in to replace Ben Johnson, who departed to take over as head coach of the Chicago Bears. At the time, the hire made sense. Morton had been part of Detroit’s offensive staff in 2022 and helped Johnson install the system that powered the Lions’ breakout seasons.
Still, concerns about Morton’s track record followed him into the role.
His lone season as the New York Jets’ offensive coordinator drew heavy criticism, with that unit finishing near the bottom of the league in scoring. While Detroit offered significantly more talent, the same problems surfaced again.
Midway through the 2025 season, Morton was stripped of play-calling responsibilities, a move that underscored growing frustration with the offense’s direction.
Head coach Dan Campbell publicly backed Morton at the time, emphasizing his value in preparation and in-game analysis rather than play design.
Campbell noted that Morton continued to provide detailed insight on tendencies and situational adjustments, even if he was no longer calling the plays.
Now, Detroit faces another key offseason decision.
The Lions will begin searching for a new offensive coordinator, though it remains uncertain how much control that coach will have. Campbell has not committed to whether he plans to keep play-calling duties for himself in 2026 or hand them over to the next hire.
What is clear, however, is that the Lions believe their offense can be better — and that change was necessary to get there.
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