There is a palpable sense of skepticism when it comes to the national opinion of the 2025 Detroit Lions. After a 15-2 season, many are expecting a step back, and one of the major reasons given is the loss of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to the Chicago Bears as their new head coach. Johnson was replaced by John Morton, a senior offensive assistant to the Lions in 2022, when Johnson was just building his own offense in Detroit.
There hasn’t been much positive buzz about Morton—some pointing to his
thin history as a play-caller, others simply not impressed that he isn’t a young up-and-coming mind. But a story this past weekend by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press paints Morton in a different light. Morton wasn’t some afterthought this offseason. Rather, he was in the midst of making a decision between three teams trying to court him.
The first was the Denver Broncos, who had employed him for the past two seasons under long-time friend Sean Payton. As the team’s pass game coordinator, Morton helped a developing roster produce a top-10 offense and a surprise postseason appearance in 2024 under rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Payton wanted him back.
But while Morton was on vacation—perhaps not so coincidentally in Cabo San Lucas, where Payton was also present—Lions coach Dan Campbell came calling. He wanted his assistant back to help maintain the offense that he had helped install back in 2022. And shortly after he hung up with Campbell, Morton received a call from Johnson, hoping the veteran coach could help the Bears build a successful offense, as well.
So what made him ultimately choose the Lions? Apparently, a group of close confidant friends told him that any time Dan Campbell calls, you answer.
“I talked to some people and they’re like, ‘Dude, if (Campbell) offers you the job, you freaking take it. What are you, an idiot?’” Morton told the Free Press.
In the same article, Campbell dropped a great quote about why he believes Morton was in high demand this offseason.
“I didn’t know Ben would call him, but I had a good hunch that Ben would call him,” Campbell said. “I mean, he’d be crazy not to. That’s the thing, Johnny is like a behind-the-scenes grinder. He’s not somebody that has ambition to be a head coach, he just wants to coach offensive football. That’s all he gives a crap about, and then just –that’s it. And so anybody that’s looking for somebody that’s creative and is a grinder, you’re going to want John Morton.”
The entire article is worth your time, which can be found here.
