John Morton has made it to a championship game.
Except, of course, it's not coming as a member of the Detroit Lions' coaching staff. No, Morton was dumped by the Lions after their 9-8 season resulted in a 4th place finish, and after their offense sputtered through the season behind Morton's (and Dan Campbell's) play-calling.
He's still a greatly respected mind in the NFL, though, and that's evident from the fact that the Denver Broncos have brought Morton on as a consultant for the postseason.
That hire, reported on by ESPN's Adam Schefter, is the first amount of significant movement we've seen for Morton since he was fired by the Lions. It's sure to be a nice resume builder for Morton, and a move that's sure to make some Lions fans scratch their heads considering how uninspired Morton's work was with the Lions' offense this past season.
Morton brought on as consultant for Broncos ahead of AFC Championship
Denver is set to face off against the New England Patriots next weekend for the right to a Super Bowl berth, and it's looking an awful lot like the Patriots will be punching that ticket. Bo Nix broke his ankle in a win against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional game, which means Jarrett Stidham is expected to suit up in his stead.
The 2019 fourth round pick by New England can spark a magical underdog journey for Denver, but it just doesn't seem likely given how potent the Patriots' defense has been the last few weeks. Couple that with Drake Maye putting some finishing touches on his potential MVP run this postseason, and it just seems like Morton will be out almost as quickly as he got in on the postseason.
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Morton has connections to Denver from recent years as their pass game coordinator in 2023 and 2024, and has a connection specifically to Sean Payton from his New Orleans Saints days. He served as a passing game coordinator and offensive assistant under Payton back in 2006. So clearly, Payton just enjoys Morton's work on his staff.
Detroit fans might delight in a Broncos loss if it means that the last remaining remnant of the Lions in the postseason is simply Matthew Stafford looking to advance to the postseason against the Seattle Seahawks. He is, at least, a remaining former Lion with goodwill from fans this year.