Dan Campbell and the Lions have identified a replacement for Ben Johnson. It's a coach they know well.
Broncos passing game coordinator John Morton, who worked for the Lions as a senior offensive assistant in 2022, is expected to become Detroit's next offensive coordinator, per Adam Schefter.
Morton and Campbell first crossed paths on the Saints in 2016 when Morton coached the wide receivers and Campbell the tight ends. They reunited six years later in Detroit, where Morton played a key role in the first full season of Jared Goff's resurgence with the Lions.
Morton went on to join the Broncos staff under Sean Payton, but not before Campbell said, "What Johnny Morton did for us on offense this year was pivotal. It was behind the scenes, and I'm not sure everybody understands just how important he was for us."
Last season, when asked about the rise of Lions passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand, Campbell again went out of his way to bring up Morton. While praising Engstrand for his vision and game-planning, Campbell noted that Engstrand has benefited from "being able to learn from what’s been around here, like John Morton, man."
"Johnny’s a superstar now, and there’s a number of things that he did for us last year that we’ve kept," Campbell said. "I really feel like that helped Tanner as well. He took a lot of that, he learned from that and he’s grown from that, so he’s in a good spot. He’s an asset for us.”
With Morton on staff in 2022, Johnson's first as offensive coordinator and play-caller, Goff bounced back after a poor first season with the Lions and launched a three-year run that rivals any quarterback in the NFL. He's the league's leading passer in both yards and touchdowns since, and ranks third in passer rating.
Engstrand remains an asset for the Lions, along with running backs coach and assistant head coach Scottie Montgomery, both of whom were viewed as candidates to replace Johnson. Campbell opted for a more experienced hire instead, without straying far from the team's offensive vision.
Morton, a former NFL wide receiver, broke into coaching with the Raiders in 1998 under Jon Gruden, and has experience as an offensive coordinator with the Jets in 2017. He also served as offensive coordinator at USC under Pete Carroll. He later coached under Jim Harbaugh for the duration of Harbaugh's tenure with the 49ers, a connection that dates back to their time with the Raiders. Payton included, the 55-year-old Morton has been molded by some highly successful offensive minds.
In his first season in Denver, Morton helped Russell Wilson revive his career a bit like Goff in Detroit. After struggling badly in year one with the Broncos on the heels of a trade from the Seahawks, Wilson put up much more efficient numbers in 2023.
And this season, Morton oversaw the growth of rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who helped the Broncos reach the playoffs for the first time in eight years. Nix led all rookies in passing yards and touchdowns.
Morton has big shoes to fill in Detroit, where Johnson coordinated a top-five offense each of the last three seasons. In the first of those seasons, Morton was a guiding hand. Now, Campbell is prepared to trust him at the helm.