Feb. 22, 2026, 5:45 p.m. ET

Former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator John Morton is expected to be hired by the Denver Broncos.

ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler was first to report that Morton would rejoin the Broncos‘ staff. According to Fowler, the Broncos are expected to hire Morton as its pass-game coordinator. Morton held the same role with the Broncos from 2023-24.

Morton also joined the Broncos as a consultant this past season during the playoffs after being fired by the Lions.

The Lions‘ 2025 offense ranked fifth in the NFL in both total offense (373.2 yards per game) and scoring offense (28.3 points per game).

Morton was relieved of his offensive play-calling duties before the midway point of last season.

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When Morton was relieved of his duties as the Lions’ offensive play-caller midway through the season, Detroit was third in points per game (29.9) and eighth in total offense (350.8 yards per game). Detroit was averaging 225.6 passing yards and 125.1 rushing yards per game with Morton calling plays. The Lions started 5-3 with Morton as its offensive play-caller.

“I fully support it,” Morton said last November following his demotion from offensive play-caller . “Listen, man. I’ve been doing this for a while. I’ve been with head coaches that are offensive guys, play-callers, so I’m used to that. I feel very prideful of things that I was doing. There’s some things I’ve got to learn, no doubt. 

“But listen, I want to do whatever it takes to win. I mean, as soon he said (that), I’m like, ‘All right, let’s go. What do we gotta do?’ That’s the way I’ve always been in this business. I’ve been cut six times (as a player), I’ve been fired. Man, you just march on, because it’s always about the team. It always is.”

The Lions’ 2026 offense will be led by former Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, who was hired as Morton’s successor in January.

During his time in Arizona, the Cardinals ranked second in the NFL in rushing average (4.92) and were ninth in rushing yards (6,399).

Petzing, 38, helped direct an Arizona offense that finished second in yards per carry in both the 2023 (5.0) and 2024 (5.3) seasons.

Under Petzing’s direction, the Cardinals also watched tight end Trey McBride garner back-to-back Pro Bowl selections (2024-25) and first-team All-Pro status this past season. In 2025, McBride led all NFL tight ends in receptions (126) and receiving yards (1,239), while tying for the most receiving touchdowns (11).

McBride’s 126 receptions established a single-season NFL record among tight ends.

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