Lions' Top OC Targets for Dan Campbell's Staff After John Morton's Exit

John Morton is out as the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator after one season.

The team announced Tuesday its plans to part ways with Morton after Detroit failed to make the playoffs after winning the division in back-to-back seasons.

The Lions will now need to find their third offensive coordinator in as many years as they try to get back to the top of the NFC.

One option for Detroit could be to keep things in-house and hire someone already on the staff. If the Lions choose to go that route, Scottie Montgomery could be the person for the job.

Montgomery has been on staff since 2023, first serving as running backs coach and moving to wide receivers coach ahead of the 2025 campaign. He has also been an assistant head coach since he was hired in 2023.

Montgomery helped lead one of the best offenses in the league over the past several years, and now could be the time to give him a promotion.

Another option from within could be offensive line coach and run game coordinator Hank Fraley. Fraley has drawn interest from other teams for offensive coordinator gigs over the last few years, so the Lions could go ahead and hire him for that job before someone else does.

If Detroit wanted to make a splash, former New York Giants Brian Daboll could be the best option for the vacant position. Daboll struggled as a head coach, but found plenty of success as a coordinator and an assistant, as he's won five Super Bowls and was the offensive coordinator for Alabama when it won a championship in 2017.

Daboll is likely hoping to land a head coaching job soon, but returning to his roots as a coordinator could be a good way to reset after four years with the Giants.