Lions Fire Offensive Coordinator John Morton After One Season

The Lions are going in another direction at offensive coordinator.

The Lions are moving on from offensive coordinator John Morton. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Lions have parted ways with offensive coordinator John Morton, the team announced on Tuesday.

The Lions announced today that they have parted ways with offensive coordinator John Morton.

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 6, 2026

The decision to move on from Morton comes after head coach Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties in the middle of a 2025 season that saw Detroit finish 9–8 and fail to advance to the postseason for the first time since ’22. Campbell said during his press conference on Monday that the first thing he needs to figure out this offseason is his staff. He has already taken a step toward doing that by opting to cut ties with Morton.

Though the Lions still finished top-five in total yards, passing yards and points per game overall, they clearly failed to live up to expectations on that side of the ball—particularly given their explosive potential with a nucleus consisting of Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams.

The Lions will now look for a new offensive coordinator a year after Ben Johnson departed the team to become the Bears head coach. Johnson was highly successful running the Lions offense during their playoff runs, and Detroit will look to mimic those results with their next hire.

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