The Broncos\u2019 key offensive staff retooling is now complete, heading into Sean Payton\u2019s fourth season in Denver.<\/p>\n
Denver is hiring John Morton as its offensive passing-game coordinator, a source with knowledge of the hire confirmed to The Denver Post on Sunday. It\u2019s a reunion of sorts, after Morton served as the Broncos\u2019 passing-game coordinator in 2023 and 2024 under Payton before departing for an offensive-coordinator job with the Lions in 2025.<\/p>\n
Really, though, Morton has remained in Denver\u2019s building for months ever since Payton brought him back as a consultant across the Broncos\u2019 playoff run, after the Lions stripped Morton of play-calling duties midseason and then fired him after a disappointing 9-8 season in Detroit. In the very first week that Morton returned to Denver\u2019s practice field \u2014 before the Broncos\u2019 divisional matchup against the Bills \u2014 he helped install a goal-line play for offensive tackle Frank Crum that led to a touchdown in the 33-30 overtime win over Buffalo.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing he does surprises me,\u201d receiver Marvin Mims Jr. said of Payton in the locker room, asked about taking Morton\u2019s install for Crum.<\/p>\n
Payton has now re-surrounded himself with allies in the building after firing a trusted longtime co-worker in Joe Lombardi two days after the Broncos\u2019 season-ending AFC title-game loss, removing the offensive coordinator and kick-starting a domino effect on his staff. Payton handed the offensive-coordinator reins to former quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator Davis Webb, who could well take over play-calling duties in Denver. The Broncos elevated offensive-quality-control coach Logan Kilgore to the vacant quarterbacks job, and hired Ronald Curry \u2014 another former Payton acolyte who Denver interviewed for the OC job \u2014 as their wide-receivers coach.<\/p>\n
Morton now completes the initial puzzle, a man who\u2019s known Payton as a head coach from his very first beginnings. Morton was New Orleans\u2019 receivers coach in Payton\u2019s first year with the Saints in 2006, and has spent four more years on his staff across two different stops since.<\/p>\n
He\u2019ll now be back again for the ride in 2026. Time will tell, however, if Morton will be feeding ideas to Payton on gameday \u2014 or to Webb.<\/p>\n