Morton heads back to Motown with plenty of experience.

He began his days in the NFL with the then-Oakland Raiders in 2002 as an offensive assistant. He later took on the same role with the New Orleans Saints under Sean Payton, spent four seasons as USC’s offensive coordinator, was with the San Francisco 49ers and Saints as a wide receivers coach and then became the New York Jets’ offensive coordinator in 2017. He returned to the Raiders as a senior offensive assistant after that. Following his stint with Campbell in ’22, Morton has been with Payton and the Broncos the past two seasons.

After a stunning Divisional Round loss to the Washington Commanders, Campbell and the Lions lost both their coordinators — Johnson to the Bears and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to the New York Jets.

They’ve moved just as quickly, though, promoting Kelvin Sheppard to DC and hiring Morton to take on the offensive reins.

The Detroit Lions have appointed John Morton as their new offensive coordinator, succeeding Ben Johnson, who departed to become the head coach of the Chicago Bears. Morton, 55, brings over two decades of coaching experience to the role. He previously served as the passing game coordinator for the Denver Broncos from 2023 to 2024 and was a senior offensive assistant for the Lions in 2022.

Morton’s coaching career includes stints with the Oakland Raiders, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, and New York Jets, where he was the offensive coordinator in 2017. His extensive background positions him well to lead the Lions’ offense, which has been among the NFL’s most prolific in recent years.

In addition to Morton’s appointment, the Lions have promoted Kelvin Sheppard to defensive coordinator, replacing Aaron Glenn, who became the head coach of the New York Jets. Sheppard, 37, has been with the Lions since 2021, initially as the linebackers coach.

These coaching changes are part of the Lions’ efforts to maintain and enhance their competitive edge following a successful 2024 season.