Pride of Detroit
On Tuesday, the Detroit Lions coach, Dan Campbell, relieved offensive coordinator John Morton of his duties with the organization. It was not an overly surprising move, as his play-calling responsibilities were taken away midseason, and that seemingly put the Lions in a position to search for an offensive coordinator for the second consecutive offseason.
Here’s a look at five candidates—plus a quick look at eight others—the Lions should consider for their vacant offensive coordinator position.
Monken is still technically under contract with the Ravens, but the speculation is that his situation will change very soon. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini is reporting that “a key pressure point” in the firing of head coach John Harbaugh centered around “his refusal to entertain any conversations about potentially moving on from” Monken.
Monken has 11 NFL seasons of coaching experience, including seven as an offensive coordinator. He was the OC with the Buccaneers in 2016-18, the Browns in 2019, and the Ravens for the past three seasons. The three gap years, when he wasn’t an NFL OC (2020-22), he was the OC at Georgia, where he won two National Championships.
Monken is not only loaded with play-calling experience, but he is also widely recognized as one of the most creative and adaptable coordinators in the NFL. A true players’ coach, Monken listens to and takes input from players and coaches alike, creating an offense he identifies as a team offense, rather than claiming credit for what he orchestrated.
“He’s a very good teacher,” Harbaugh said in 2023, via the Athletic. “He expresses things really well. He’s a great communicator. He makes it very clear what he’s looking for, and he does it in a real energetic kind of way. It’s a fun way. The players have latched onto it, and they appreciate it.”
I broke down the Ravens offense ahead of the Lions Week 3 matchup earlier this year, but it’s worth keeping in mind that he would likely adapt to what the Lions currently have in place while bringing in some of his own wrinkles.
Like Monken, Kafka is still technically under contract with his old team, but that could and probably should change.
Kafka, a former quarterback, spent five seasons in the NFL before shifting to the coaching ranks. After playing under Andy Reid as a player in Philadelphia, Kafka joined Reid’s coaching staff in Kansas City in 2017. After five seasons with the Chiefs, Brian Daboll hired him to be his OC in New York, and halfway through the 2025 season, Kafka took over interim head coaching duties following Daboll’s firing.
After taking over as the Giants’ interim coach, Kafka dialed up the aggression on offense, reemphasized a focus on the run game, and the team played inspired ball the remainder of the season. Based on how he coached the Giants in the back half of the season, it appears several of his coaching values align with Campbell’s...
