Now that the Detroit Lions offcially parted ways with offensive coordinator John Morton, the offensive coordinator search is on. There are a lot of candidates out there, but to us, these are the top five candidates for the Lions this offseason.

Former Giants head coach Brian Daboll

Here’s one the favorites that everyone keeps suggesting. Brian Daboll didn’t work out as a head coach, but he was great with Josh Allen and the Bills and has a ton of NFL offensive coordinator experience.

In my opinion, Daboll is not the right move for the Lions, but I can understand why so many fans want him here. He is a trusted name with over 20 years of experience. The problem is that most of that experience in the NFL hasn’t gone that well. Before Buffalo, he was the OC for the Browns, Dolphins, and Chiefs, and he stayed with only one of those teams for more than one year.

Bears quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett

J.T. Barrett is definitely familiar with the Lions. He spent three seasons on the Lions coaching staff before heading over to the Bears with Ben Johnson. Speaking of Johnson, he gave Barrett a lot of credit in Detroit for being in charge of “specials.”

Those are the trick plays that you saw the Lions running a lot under Johnson. Barrett, along with Seth Ryan and Steve Oliver, was tasked not only with installing these plays but also with developing them.

Barrett is up and coming in the NFL, and he’s rising fast. But is it too fast to be an offensive coordinator already? I don’t know. Sometimes guys just get it. Barrett might be one of those guys.

Bills quarterback coach Ronald Curry

Ronald Curry has a history with Campbell, dating back to their time in New Orleans for four seasons. Curry has been climbing the NFL coaching ladder for some time now. He’s been a quarterbacks coach, receivers coach, and a passing game coordinator.

He’s received some offensive coordinator interviews around the league, but hasn’t nailed down a gig just yet. The Lions could be that gig. This would be a return to Detroit for Curry. He was on the Lions training camp roster in 2009.

Lions offensive line coach and run game coordinator Hank Fraley

It’s only a matter of time before Hank Fraley is an offensive coordinator in the NFL. He’s had interviews during the last two offseasons, and he’ll probably get more this offseason.

The Lions might as well be the team that gives him the gig with a nice promotion. His assistant, Steve Oliver, is ready to take over as offensive line coach, and Fraley knows exactly what this team wants to do on offense after eight years with the team. This one makes the most sense to me.

Rams Passing Game Coordinator Nate Scheelhaase

Another up-and-comer in the NFL, and this one actually has a history with one of the Lions’ best players. Scheelhaase was David Montgomery’s running backs coach at Iowa State. In addition to his role as the running backs coach here, he was also their receivers coach, quarterbacks coach, and offensive coordinator. The Rams hired him in 2024 and have their passing game coordinator; he’s helped the Rams have the best passing attack in the NFL.

Scheelhaase has had OC interviews with the Buccaneers and Jaguars in 2024 and is expected to be a much bigger candidate in 2025.

Former Titans head coach Brian Callahan

Real quick, people need to get over the whole “but he just got fired thing.” The Titans are a pretty bad example of how a franchise can be run from the top, and I don’t think Brian Callahan ever had a real shot there. This is the team that also fired the head coach who is heading up the No. 1 team in the AFC right now.

Callahan is a great offensive coordinator. There’s a reason the Titans wanted him. He spent five years as an OC with the Bengals and helped get that team to the Super Bowl in 2021. He helped that team remain one of the league’s top offenses until he left for the Titans’ job in 2024.

While he and Campbell have never worked together, Callahan can get the recommendation letter from his old head coach, Zac Taylor. A guy who was Campbell’s OC when he was the interim coach of the Dolphins, and someone he speaks very highly of and has a relationship with.

Ravens OC Todd Monken

Personally, I’m not too hot on his one, but I know the interest will be there from my peers and Lions fans, too. Now that John Harbaugh has been let go by the Ravens, the Lions have a chance to go get a guy with a lot of experience and who would theoretically be ready to go based on that experience.

Jared Goff doesn’t have the mobility Lamar Jackson has, but he is a better passer and definitely has a lot more weapons. Monken could bring some of his smarts to Detroit and have them airing it all over the place. He could also be a big help with red zone issues.

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