The Detroit Lions have officially parted ways with offensive coordinator John Morton.
Per The Athletic's Dianna Russini and multiple other sources, Morton was fired from the job on Tuesday after head coach Dan Campbell told reporters he would take some time to evaluate his entire staff. Morton was the successor to Ben Johnson, who left before the 2025 season for the head coaching job with the Chicago Bears.
Morton leaves behind a strange, one-year legacy with the Lions and their offense. While they were still able to score quite a bit this season, they could never find consistency against stronger defenses, and he was often out-schemed by teams with great defensive coordinators like with the Minnesota Vikings and Brian Flores.
Lions part ways with Morton after one season
There aren't many notable potential replacements for Morton on the market, although two names that have popped up in the coaching cycle this offseason are very notable: Kevin Stefanski and Kliff Kingsbury. Stefanski, a former two-time Coach of the Year award winner, struggled as a play-caller with the Cleveland Browns over the last few years. But, to be fair, who wouldn't?
As for Kingsbury, he was just released by the Washington Commanders in a mutual agreement, and he's likely to take some interviews for open head coaching vacancies before considering another shot at offensive coordinator.
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Washington's quarterback, Jayden Daniels, was reportedly not very pleased that he was let go, which should tell Lions fans everything about how desirable he could be as an OC for this offense. Detroit has a long way to go before making any decision at offensive coordinator, but ideally, they should have someone new in place by the time the combine and draft roll around.
Whoever does step into Morton's shoes will have some of the NFL's top playmakers on hand to work with in Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and David Montgomery. It's a very alluring position, but there are a ton of coordinators set to hit the market that are likely seeking a step up in the coaching tree, and not a step that keeps them at the same level.
Still, this has to be one of the most intriguing openings at OC in the NFL now. The Lions' ceiling remains high despite a 9-8 record in 2025 and no playoff appearance.