Ben Johnson leaving the Detroit Lions for the Chicago Bears was one of the biggest moves of the 2024 NFL coaching carousel, with the offensive coordinator leaving the team to lead an NFC North rival. Johnson and Detroit were coming off being the NFL's highest-scoring offense in 2024, and for Detroit fans, his departure stung.
But, five games into the season, the Lions offense looks just as good without Johnson as it did a season ago. That credit can be drawn to new offensive coordinator John Morton.
The Lions have one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL once again, so let's get to know the man behind it.
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Who is John Morton?
Morton, the new Lions offensive coordinator, joined Detroit after serving as the Denver Broncos’ passing game coordinator in 2023 and 2024. He took over the role previously held by Johnson from 2022 to 2024.
Five games into his new role, Morton has the Lions offense firing on all cylinders. Detroit currently ranks first in the NFL, scoring an average of 34.2 points per game while averaging 365 yards from scrimmage. The Lions have won four straight games, putting up at least 34 points in each contest.
John Morton's got that Goffense rolling 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/WOMYaiCpj6
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 7, 2025
Morton had a short playing career in the NFL, where he was on the practice squads of the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers.
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John Morton coaching timeline
Morton began his coaching career with the Raiders in 1998 as an offensive assistant. He was promoted through several roles during his time in Oakland, including offensive quality control coach in 2000, senior offensive assistant in 2002, and tight ends coach in 2004.
After leaving the Raiders, Morton held several passing game coordinator positions at the University of San Diego, the New Orleans Saints, and USC. He was promoted to offensive coordinator at USC in 2009, a role he held for two seasons.
In 2011, Morton became the wide receivers coach for the San Francisco 49ers. He returned to the Saints in 2015 as a wide receivers coach before earning his first NFL offensive coordinator role with the New York Jets in 2017. He held the position for one year, with the Jets averaging 18.6 points per game under Josh McCown.
After taking 2018 off, Morton returned to the Raiders in 2019 as a senior offensive analyst. He stayed until 2021, when he moved to Detroit in the same role. He then spent two years as the Broncos’ passing game coordinator before returning to Detroit this offseason as the Lions’ offensive coordinator.
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Why did Ben Johnson leave the Lions?
Johnson was one of the top head coaching candidates during the 2024 offseason, fresh off leading the best offense in the NFL. He chose to become the head coach of a division rival, the Chicago Bears, citing three key reasons for his decision, which included being in the Chicago area, a roster that he is excited to build and wanting to stay in the NFC East, which he called "the toughest division in football."
Ben Johnson on staying in the NFC North:
— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) January 22, 2025
"I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year." pic.twitter.com/NxQO6sTzZw
Johnson returned to Detroit in Week 2 of the 2025 season with his new team, and the Lions battered Chicago, 52-21.
MORE: Why did Ben Johnson leave Lions?