John Morton will once again find himself in Denver for the 2026 campaign. He will occupy a familiar role on Sean Payton‘s staff next season.
Morton is coming back to the Broncos on a full-time basis, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. He will once again hold the title of pass-game coordinator. It was in that capacity that Morton worked in Denver during the 2023 and ’24 seasons.
Lats year, Morton was hired by the Lions to serve as Ben Johnson‘s offensive coordinator replacement. Things did not go according to plan in Detroit, to say the least. By the end of the season, head coach Dan Campbell had taken on play-calling duties. That made it no surprise when Morton was dismissed immediately following the conclusion of the regular season.
Morton was not out of work for long, even with his Lions gig coming to an end. The 56-year-old returned to the Broncos in time for their playoff run. As a result, it is certainly not a shock Payton has simply elected to continue having Morton in place on a full-time basis. The most significant difference between Morton’s first Broncos stint and his upcoming one, of course, is the recent change made at the offensive coordinator spot.
Joe Lombardi was fired not long after Denver’s loss in the AFC title game. That paved the way for the highly in-demand Davis Webb to be promoted to OC. It remains to be seen if Payton will hand down play-calling duties to Webb for 2026, but in any case the dynamic between the two will be different than it previously was. Morton, meanwhile, will look to make a seamless transition back to his previous role in Denver. Doing so could help rebuild his stock and lead to future coordinator opportunities.
This content was brought to you by: Pro Football Rumors
