Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes had a strong sense the team would lose two of its coordinators during the latest NFL head coaching carousel. But what caught him off guard was the job one of them chose to take.
During a recent appearance on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast, Holmes shared his reaction to former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson accepting the head coaching position with the Chicago Bears — keeping him within the NFC North.
“Obviously, there are multiple jobs that were open that cycle, and so I didn’t really know that. I knew he had interviewed for Chicago, but he interviewed for a lot of the other positions, too. So I really didn’t know, really, which way it was going to go,” Holmes said.
“I was thinking Chicago would’ve probably been the last destination — or I was probably hoping that, probably. But no, I really didn’t know that was happening until — actually, until he accepted the job, and we had a little talk briefly before he left. I was happy for him, man. I mean, he is a hell of a coach, man, and they have a really good one up there. But yeah, it’s just a little like, man, why Chicago?”
With Johnson off to The Second City, the Lions turned to a familiar face to fill their offensive coordinator vacancy, hiring Denver Broncos pass game coordinator and Auburn Hills native John Morton.
Morton’s return to Michigan is a homecoming in more ways than one. The Western Michigan graduate served on Dan Campbell’s staff in 2022 as a senior offensive assistant. Having helped shape the offense the Lions still run, Holmes doesn’t expect a significant shift in philosophy or identity — despite the looming matchups against Johnson and the Bears.
“Yeah, it’s going to be some new wrinkles. But I think, in terms of the change to the looks, that really comes from Dan, in terms of he’s looking to evolve it regardless, whether Ben was still here or not,” Holmes said.
“But I will say, just because John Morton and Ben were there both in ’22 with Dan overseeing the whole thing, I don’t see a lot of wholesale change. But there’s going to be some evolution there, just because that’s how Dan is—just regardless.”
The Lions won’t have to wait long to see their former coordinator. Johnson’s return to Detroit comes early, when the Bears visit Ford Field in Week 2 on Sept. 14.
