John Morton will not return as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator following a one-season stint. The move didn’t come as a surprise after head coach Dan Campbell took over play-calling in Week 10 and never gave it back. It was a clear hint that Morton’s time in Detroit might be coming to an end. However, the Lions are acting fast and with a plan. They have already scheduled an interview with Lamar Jackson’s coach for the OC vacancy.

According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Detroit will be interviewing Ravens’ QB coach Tee Martin the following week. However, the reports also insist that the Washington Commanders plan to interview him as well.

The shared interest isn’t surprising.

Tee Martin was a top quarterback at Tennessee, starting for two seasons from 1998 to 1999. He helped lead the team to a 22–3 record, including a win in the first-ever BCS National Championship in 1998.

As of present, Martin has been in Baltimore colors for five seasons now. He coached wide receivers in 2021 and 2022 before moving into the quarterbacks coach role over the last three years. And before making the jump to the NFL, Martin spent 15 seasons in college football, handling wideouts, coordinating passing games, and even serving as an assistant head coach along the way.

In Martin’s first year coaching quarterbacks in 2023, he helped guide Lamar Jackson to an MVP season. Jackson threw for 3,678 yards, accounted for 24 touchdowns, and finished with a 102.7 passer rating. By that point, Jackson had fully settled into being a complete, dual-threat quarterback.

But the Detroit Lions aren’t just looking at Martin for his quarterback development. He’s also called plays before. At the University of Southern California, Martin served as offensive coordinator, aiding in the rise of Sam Darnold and accumulating direct experience running an offense.

Detroit’s offense wasn’t broken this season. They finished third in the league in passing, averaging 268.6 yards per game, and Jared Goff put up 4,564 yards and 34 touchdowns. But the Lions need someone who can consistently call a game. That’s where Morton fell short.

The Lions hired Morton last offseason after Ben Johnson left to take the head coaching job with the Bears. The offense showed flashes, but the instability never went away. After a Week 9 loss to the Vikings, Dan Campbell took over the play-calling duties from Morton. From there, it felt like a short runway.

And Martin isn’t the only option on the board right now. Other reported candidates include David Blough of the Commanders, former Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel, and Jake Peetz from the Seahawks. Blough is the QBs coach, while Peetz is a passing game coordinator.

It’s a strong list, but Martin’s resume is overall good enough for him to be considered. The standards will be high this coming season, as GM Brad Holmes has already weighed in on the past season.

Detroit Lions GM reflected on the disappointing season

A few days ago, head coach Dan Campbell gave a pretty honest review of the team’s performance this season.

“Not good enough. We didn’t get in. We underachieved,” Campbell said. “So, not good. I’d give myself a freaking F.”

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And GM Brad Holmes agrees to that.

“It was either good enough or not good enough,” he said. “And it’s not good enough.”

You could argue that they could’ve won the Super Bowl last season if it weren’t for the injuries. The expectations were not different this season, either. This was a team that was supposed to compete for the Lombardi. Instead, the Lions missed the playoffs completely, finishing the season 9-8.

After winning the division in back-to-back seasons, that’s a tough pill to swallow. The eight losses this year were more than the previous two seasons combined, when the Lions went 27–7. Injuries piled up like last season, the OL never allowed Goff time in the pocket, and the run game sputtered, finishing 14th in the league.

Campbell and his staff met with players on Monday for exit interviews and other end-of-the-season formalities, and the mood was pretty telling. Players were frustrated, disappointed, and a little angry. And that feeling ran through the building. Everyone knew this team left something on the table.

Hopefully, things will be different with the new OC next season, coupled with a few more personnel changes. Players remain confident that the Lions’ Super Bowl window hasn’t closed yet, and so do the fans and the front office. They need to make a genuine run next year.