Broncos Bring Back Former Lions Oc As Playoff Consultant

John Morton has returned to nan Denver Broncos aft spending nan 2025 play arsenic nan offensive coordinator of nan Detroit Lions. Morton was spotted astatine Broncos believe this week, arsenic nan squad prepared to return connected nan Buffalo Bills astatine Empower Field astatine Mile High successful nan Divisional Round of nan playoffs, and we now cognize why.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Morton was hired to service arsenic a advisor passim nan Broncos' playoff run.

"Former Lions violative coordinator John Morton, who worked pinch Sean Payton successful New Orleans and successful Denver, joined nan Broncos this week arsenic a advisor for nan postseason, per sources," Schefter reported connected X connected Saturday.

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Morton's Background

Morton, 56, spent 2023 and 2024 arsenic nan Broncos' walk crippled coordinator. When Lions caput coach Dan Campbell — a chap erstwhile Payton adjunct — came calling, looking for an violative coordinator to switch Ben Johnson, Morton was hired away.

Quarterbacks coach Davis Webb was fixed nan further title and responsibilities of win Morton arsenic nan Broncos' walk crippled coordinator this season. Webb has besides go a head-coaching campaigner of intrigue. It mightiness beryllium a spot early for him to get specified a job, though.

Morton was fired by nan Lions aft conscionable 1 season. Campbell had to return complete play-calling duties astatine points during nan season, arsenic nan Lions struggled to replicate their violative power successful nan aftermath of Johnson's departure.

Although Morton has bee coaching successful nan NFL since 1998, nan Lions occupation was only nan 2nd violative coordinator occupation of his profession successful nan pros. His different wound astatine nan pome was pinch nan New York Jets successful 2017 nether then-head coach Todd Bowles. That gig besides past conscionable 1 season.

However, Morton knows Payton's discourtesy and Bo Nix, being portion of nan encephalon spot that coached and schemed him to humanities rookie heights successful 2024. An other group of eyes couldn't hurt.

After becoming Broncos caput coach, Payton wanted to cultivate nan correct chemistry for his backmost room. Webb was hired arsenic nan QB coach conscionable weeks aft starting for nan New York Giants arsenic a player, pinch Joe Lombardi arsenic violative coordinator and Morton arsenic walk crippled coordinator.

The group had a galvanizing effect connected Russell Wilson successful 2023, though it wasn't capable to forestall nan inevitable parting of ways that Payton whitethorn person divined erstwhile he took nan occupation successful Denver. But nan coaching chemistry evidently had a immense effect connected nan team's destiny erstwhile Payton sewage his handpicked backmost successful nan room successful 2024.

“There’s a unsocial chemistry successful there. Obviously, [Webb] is day-to-day pinch those guys, and past nan different group of us—when you look astatine Joe [Lombardi] arsenic nan coordinator and Johnny [Morton], there’s truthful overmuch that goes into these plays and pictures, that nan room flows fine," Payton said backmost successful 2023. "It’s not noisy aliases busy. There’s rather a spot of acquisition there. It’s thing we benignant of group up intentionally pinch who’s successful location and nan building of it.”

Payton would adhd different sound to nan violative speech erstwhile his long-time violative coordinator successful New Orleans, Pete Carmichael, was hired arsenic an violative adjunct successful 2024. With Payton astatine nan top, that's 1 heck of a wellspring of shot knowledge for Nix to soak up.

Time will show if Morton's return lasts successful 2026. But Payton's sewage his set backmost together successful clip for nan biggest Broncos crippled successful a decade.

Broncos-Bills kicks disconnected astatine 2:30 p.m. MDT.

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