Replacing Ben Johnson awas not going to be easy, but Dan Campbell unsurprisingly leaned into familiarity when he hired John Morton as the Detroit Lions' next offensive coordinator. Morton had been on the Lions' staff in 2022, with theoretically a key role in shaping the offense during Johnson's first year calling plays.
The Lions' offense was broadly fine during the first half of the season. But after Campbell seemed to tease the idea, he indeed took play-calling from Morton in Week 10. An offensive coordinator being stripped of play-calling duties in the middle of the season is a clear precursor to him being let go after the season.
Failing that seemingly inevitable move, Morton will surely be compelled to pursue any opportunities he may have elsewhere.
Campbell, as was the case after he took over play-calling from Anthony Lynn during his first season as Lions' head coach, needs an offensive coordinator he can comfortably surrender play calling to and experience as a play caller could be (or arguably should be) a priority.
The first time around he had that man on his staff (Johnson), and there's chance he has it again now as he moves toward replacing Morton (Scottie Montgomery? Hank Fraley? David Shaw?).
NFL insider offers interesting idea regarding Dan Campbell's pursuit of new offensive coordinator
In his extensive notes column heading into the weekend of Week 17 action, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones added something to the obvious notion Campbell will be in the market for a new offensive coordinator.
"League sources believe Dan Campbell will be in the market for a new offensive coordinator this year, and perhaps he pulls from Johnson's staff one year after Johnson took flight from Detroit."
As Jones noted, in a broader look at Chicago assistant coaches being appealing to other teams, Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle could be a candidate to leave for an opportunity where he can call plays. But there are offensive coordinator candidates who would seem to be more realistic for the Lions, and Jones also wrote about those.
"Press Taylor has been revitalized in Chicago as the pass game coordinator in his first major offensive role without Doug Pederson as the head coach. J.T. Barrett, the former Ohio State quarterback, has been working his way up the coaching ladder the past few years, and the Bears quarterbacks coach will likely get OC interviews this cycle."
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"Last but not least on offense is running backs coach Eric Bieniemy. The two-time Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator saw a brief career decline when he left Kansas City. The matches didn't work with the Commanders in 2023 or UCLA last year. This year leading the running backs for Chicago, Bieniemy has a backfield of D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai -- there's just something about seventh-round RB picks out of Rutgers -- has already combined for more than 2,100 scrimmage yards."
Let's just cross Taylor off the list of Bears' assistants Campbell might try to poach to be the Lions' offensive coordinator right away. Taylor seems like Morton 2.0, and Campbell has surely learned from that mistake.
Barrett was on the Lions' offensive staff for three seasons before he followed Johnson to Chicago, so he lands as an interesting candidate to come back to Detroit as the offensive coordinator. Bieniemy's resume as the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator makes him interesting, and his roots as a running backs coach would seemingly align well with what Campbell wants Detroit's offense to be.
After Johnson left the Lions for the Bears, for Campbell wouldn't be wrong to look to his former offensive coordinator's staff for options to be his new offensive coordinator. Hopefully another extensive search for an offensive coordinator yields a better hire than Morton, no matter who ends up being on the list of candidates.