Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images
(Tuesday, January 6, 2026) — The Detroit Lions fired John Morton as offensive coordinator today, not surprising after Head Coach Dan Campbell seized play calling duties from him mid season.
In what can only be described as a disappointing season, missing the playoffs, the Lions still finished 5th in total yards on offense in the NFL. Passing led the way. The Lions finished 3rd in the league in total passing yards, but 14th overall in rushing yards. Middle of the pack is inexcusable with the most dangerous running back in the NFL on the roster, and Jahmyr Gibbs was underutilized.
Gibbs finished the year with 1,223 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on only 243 carries, a 5.03 yard average. He caught 77 passes for 616 yards and five touchdowns. These are great numbers, but Gibbs has the talent to carry the team to a championship and eclipse 2,000 yards and 25 touchdowns in a season.
The Lions should hire an offensive coordinator who will feature Gibbs 25+ times per game without neglecting the passing game. As I wrote in my last article:
“Head Coach Dan Campbell taking control of play calling duties did not improve the Lions’ offensive philosophy. In total, the Lions failed to get Gibbs more than 15 carries in 11 games this season. This amounts to criminal negligence and, if Campbell returns as head coach, he should be forced to delegate play calling to an offensive coordinator who has a plan to feature Gibbs 25 or more times per game. In the two games Detroit gave Gibbs 25 or more touches, the team scored an average of 36 points and won both games.”
Who should the Lions have on their short list?
Nate Scheelhaase
Scheelhaase is currently the Los Angeles Rams’ passing game coordinator. In an interview with Rams Wire, Rams Head Coach Sean McVay said:
“The best thing I can say about him, Nate, is—there are certain people you’re around and they come in and they have a role and a responsibility that’s defined and they do a great job of that. But the great ones, they redefine what that is because they just do a little bit more and they’re just a little bit more intrinsically motivated and they got just a little bit better feel on how you deal with people. And I think this guy’s a special coach and I’m not going to take for granted the time that I do have with him because I thought it was cool that he chose to stay with us with some other opportunities he had, that meant a lot to me and he is a rising star without a doubt.”
The Rams boast the NFL’s top offense in the regular season, by total yards and passing yards. Rams Quarterback Matthew Stafford is an MVP candidate. If the Lions can pry Scheelhaase away from McVay, they should.
Todd Monken
Monken led Georgia’s offense when the university won back to back college football national championships. He then moved on to his current job in the NFL, where he guided the Ravens offense to the AFC Championship game in his first year. Lamar Jackson won league MVP under Monken. Per Shane Haff, host of the podcast Eagles Pin-Pull, “Since Monken took over in 2023, the Ravens rank 3rd in offensive EPA/play and 4th in offensive success rate.”
There is a lot of chatter on X, mostly by Eagles fans, that the Eagles should hire Monken.
Brian Daboll
Daboll served as the Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator when quarterback Josh Allen made his leap from talented but inaccurate passer to one of the NFL’s truly elite players. He also worked as OC for the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, and in college for Alabama. He most recently was the head coach for the New York Giants. As a NFL position coach, Daboll won five Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.
The Lions would do well to hire any of these three coaches. Scheelhaase offers youth and innovation from McVay’s coaching tree, but Monken is plenty innovative in his own right. Daboll knows what it takes to win the Super Bowl .
It will be interesting to see who Dan Campbell brings onboard. He doesn’t seem insecure, which is good, because if Campbell fails to make a Super Bowl and the offense levels up, any of these guys could take his job.
Here’s to hoping a healthy roster next season and better coaching leads to all parties involved hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
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Go Lions!
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