The Detroit Lions are working on rebuilding their coaching staff after it got ravaged in the wake of their 2024 campaign ending. After promoting from within to replace defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, it looks like the Lions are going to steal a coach from the Denver Broncos in order to replace offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Glenn and Johnson were considered to be two of the top head coaching candidates in the NFL this cycle, so it wasn't much of a surprise to see them both land new jobs shortly after Detroit's season ended. Glenn wound up with the New York Jets, while Johnson stayed in the NFC North, taking the Chicago Bears job.
Detroit moved quickly to promote linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard to defensive coordinator, but they didn't have a clear in-house replacement for Johnson. That led the Lions to explore external candidates, and they are closing in on hiring Broncos pass game coordinator Johnny Morton as their new offensive coordinator.
"Lions are working to hire Broncos pass game coordinator Johnny Morton as their offensive coordinator and the coach to replace Ben Johnson, per sources. He is traveling to Detroit to meet with team. Morton worked in Detroit before and could soon be doing it again," Adam Schefter reported in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Morton has bounced around the NFL for over 20 years in various roles. He previously worked with the Lions in 2022 as a senior offensive assistant, before spending the past two years with Denver. After helping the Broncos passing game take off with rookie Bo Nix under center, Morton earned his first offensive coordinator gig since 2017.
Johnson's departure has left a big void for Morton to fill, but his familiarity with Detroit and their head coach, Dan Campbell, should help him with his transition. Now that his coordinators are set, Campbell will focus on rebuilding his assistant coaching staff, as they lost several key coaches beyond Glenn and Johnson over the past week or so.
