Opinion: Lions make shocking decision in firing John Morton

John Morton (YouTube)

When the Detroit Lions missed the 2025 NFL postseason, there was a general feeling that the offense performed relatively well in 2025. As a unit, the Lions scored 481 points, which was the third most points in the National Football Conference and the fourth most points in the National Football League. The only three teams with more points scored in the NFL in 2025 were the Los Angeles Rams (518), New England Patriots (490) and Seattle Seahawks (483).

So, when the Lions fired offensive coordinator John Morton of Auburn Hills, Michigan, on Tuesday, the general feeling in the football world was surprise. It was basically, the direct opposite feeling from earlier in the week when the Dallas Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. When Dallas fired Eberflus, the feeling in the football world was basically what took general manager Jerry Jones so long.

However, the Lions had extremely high standards when it came to their offense this season. A season ago, they scored 564 points. That was the most in the National Football League. So, the 481 points they had in 2025 were an 83 point drop. In Lion land, 481 points were not enough. They were not enough for the Lions to reach the postseason, as they are not among the 14 teams competing for the Super Bowl when the NFL playoffs start tomorrow.

Another reason why Morton does not have a job is because of the Lions performance offensively down the stretch. In games that mattered in December, the Lions went 1-3, and were horrible on Christmas Day when their season was on the line.

You could make the argument, that the Lions MVP in 2024 was offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The Bears named Johnson their new head coach in January. As a result, the Bears are off to the postseason as NFC North Division winners at 11 wins and six losses.