The Denver Broncos and head coach Sean Payton are bringing in reinforcement for the NFL playoffs.
Just ahead of the Broncos’ AFC Divisional Round game against the Buffalo Bills kicked off on Saturday, news broke that a former Payton assistant was in Denver as a consultant for what the team hopes will be a long playoff run.
“Former Lions offensive coordinator John Morton, who worked with Sean Payton in New Orleans and in Denver, joined the Broncos this week as a consultant for the postseason, per sources,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account.
Morton not only has history with Payton but also with this recent group of Broncos — he was the passing game coordinator in 2023 and 2024 before being hired as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions in 2025.
Morton Sacrificial Lamb in Detroit
Morton was fired by Detroit head coach Dan Campbell on January 6 after one season.
Campbell stripped Morton of his play-calling duties following a 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9 and with the Lions sitting at 6-3.
With Campbell calling plays for the offense the rest of the way, the Lions went 4-5, finished in last place in the NFC North and missed the playoffs one year after being the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs.
“Detroit finished in last-place in the NFC North with a 9-8 record, and while the offense finished fourth in points and fifth in yards in the entire league, there were signs of inconsistency throughout the year,” Sports Illustrated’s Christian Booher wrote after Morton was fired. “The Lions began the year 5-2 through the first seven weeks, but lost to Minnesota coming out of their bye in Week 9. For the team’s next game against Washington Commanders and ever since, Lions head coach Dan Campbell took over the play-calling duties. During that time, Morton remained heavily involved in the passing game and was still consulted for parts of the game plan. He admitted that he hoped to stay with the organization, and that calling plays would not be a requirement he’d have to remain working under Campbell.”
Morton Could Be Plug-and-Play Assistant in 2026
While Morton will have a limited role in this year’s playoff run — if it goes beyond the Bills game — there’s a good chance he takes over as either offensive coordinator for Joe Lombardi or quarterbacks coach for Davis Webb if either of the 2 leave for positions with other teams.
“Could this late coaching addition be the Broncos’ secret playoff weapon?” Winz Sports wrote on its official X account. “Morton’s offenses with Sean Payton averaged 28.4 points per game in New Orleans. Broncos’ scoring jumped 23% in their final four regular season games. Teams adding experienced consultants mid-season have covered the spread 62% of the time in playoff scenarios. With Morton’s strategic expertise joining Payton’s staff, those Broncos +5.5 odds suddenly look like money left on the table.”
This year’s Broncos-Bills game is a rematch of last season’s 31-7 blowout win by the Bills in the AFC Wild Card Round in Buffalo, with kickoff this year scheduled for 4:30 p.m. EST on CBS.
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