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Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on before a game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton shook things up this offseason, firing multiple coaches and even promoting others internally.
It has resulted in Davis Webb being named offensive coordinator. Logan Kilgore is taking over his vacated quarterback coach post. The Broncos also have new coaches overseeing cornerbacks, defensive backs, and wide receivers.
Payton’s latest act, though, was more of a return to familiarity for the salty head coach.
Former Lions OC Returns to Broncos
GettyJohn Morton of the San Francisco 49ers poses for his NFL headshot.
Payton and the Broncos welcomed back John Morton, with whom he also worked during his time as the New Orleans Saints’ head coach.
It is also a return to what is familiar for Morton, who spent 2025 with the Detroit Lions.
“The Broncos are expected to hire former Lions OC John Morton as pass-game coordinator, per sources,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on X on February 22. “Morton resumes the role he had for Denver from 2023-24. He was also a consultant for the team during the playoffs.”
The Lions fired Morton following the conclusion of the 2025 regular season. That was after beating the No. 2 seed in the NFC, the Chicago Bears, in Week 18. His return is not surprising.
Morton was seen around the Broncos’ facilities this past season before his role was announced.
“Former Lions offensive coordinator John Morton … joined the Broncos this week as a consultant for the postseason, per sources,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported in a post on X in January.
Morton’s stint with the Lions was his second. He also spent the 2022 season with Detroit as a senior offensive assistant.
The Lions hired Morton to replace Ben Johnson, who became HC of the Bears in 2025.
John Morton Back After Unfortunate Venture
GettyDetroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell looks on during a game.
Morton’s return to the Broncos comes after the Lions ranked fourth in scoring and fifth overall offensively. However, Lions head coach Dan Campbell took play-calling duties from Morton following a loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 10.
Before that game, the Lions averaged 30.7 points per game. A 52-point win over Johnson’s Bears doing some heavy lifting (27.1 PPG without it).
Afterward, with Campbell calling the offense, the Lions averaged 26.9 PPG.
“Detroit was among the league leaders in total points per game (28.3) but still struggled to find an offensive identity outside of home run plays this season despite having Pro Bowl selections Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs, among other playmakers,” ESPN’s Eric Woodyard wrote in January.
Still, the Lions lost to the Vikings 27-24, which suggests their defense was not doing enough to get off the field against an offense that ranked 26th in scoring and 28th overall during the regular season
At any rate, Morton’s return is a good thing for Payton, if not the Broncos as a whole, as the official start of the 2026 offseason draws closer.
John Morton Another Good Hire for Pat Bryant
GettyPat Bryant #13 of the Denver Broncos reacts against the Buffalo Bills.
Morton is not only reunited with Payton but also with Broncos’ new wide receivers coach, Ronald Curry. Curry was also on the Saints’ staff in 2016. Curry was the Buffalo Bills’ QB coach last season, but replaces Keary Colbert in Denver.
Curry’s hire is expected to bode well for 2025 third-round draft pick Pat Bryant. He was the Saints’ WRs coach during Michael Thomas’ record-setting 2018 season.
Morton was not on that staff.
However, he was on the staff for Thomas’ first season in the NFL before moving on to become the OC of the New York Jets. Bryant had another of the Thomas-era Saints’ former coaches in Denver last season in Joe Lombardi. Payton fired Lombardi from his OC role this offseason.
None of that guarantees success for Bryant, whom Payton compared to Thomas, but it is certainly encouraging for the young Broncos wideout.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He’s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
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