LIONS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR JOHN MORTON TRAINING CAMP DAY 7 QUOTE SHEET
July 28, 2025
Opening Statement: “I’m excited today, well, for a couple reasons. Tight red zone. We’re in the red zone, score touchdowns. Which, they’ve done an unbelievable job here, scoring touchdowns. Top five in the League every year. Also, this is our seventh day of install, so we’ve put a lot on the guys here, and they’ve done an exceptional job. You do an install every day, that’s a lot, you know what I mean? I think it’s going really well. I’m really excited. I’m also excited, Jon Gruden’s going to be here today. He’s been a big influence, mentor in my life. He’s the one that got me started, and he’s influenced a lot of other coaches, too. I’m excited for him to be here the next couple days.”
On Jon Gruden’s influence: “He gave me my first start. As a coach, Al Davis is the one that first hired me. But Jon, when I got cut as a rookie on the Raiders, I went to Green Bay for about three months. And Jon was the receivers coach there, so that’s how I got to know him. And then they cut me and I went back to the Raiders, and then the following year. So when Jon – five years later when Jon gets hired at the Raiders, I was actually working in personnel. So, he asked me to come over, ‘Hey, do you want to come over on the coaching side?’ So, yeah, me and (Lions Passing Game Coordinator) David Shaw, we shared an office together. That’s kind of how it started, man. I’m real thankful that he wanted me to come over, and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.”
On what Jon Gruden has taught him over the years: “Just the whole aspect of everything about the game. Jon was like the West Coast offense, the Bill Walsh and the Mike Holmgren’s on the world. He’s the first one who kind of ventured off, still running the West Coast type of principles, but different formations, shifts, and motions and things like that. So he just opens your eyes to the whole aspect of everything. I thought I knew football, but man. I mean, he just put me in a room, ‘Go do this, go do that.’ It was projects one after another, and all of a sudden you start learning football, so it was really cool.”
On how he feels stepping into his new role and if he feels pressure to take offensive production to the next level: “I don’t feel pressure. The good thing is, I was here a few years ago, so that helps a lot. A lot of these players knew who I am, and we’re all still getting to know each other. This is my 27th year, you should always feel pressure, but I don’t feel anxious or anything like that. I feel very confident. We’ll see how this goes. We’re still in the process of all learning each other. Every day, I’m learning about this guy, (Lions QB) Jared (Goff), me and him, we’re very close, we’re talking. I want exactly what he wants. I want to make sure, when the season does start, we’re not really thinking about a lot of stuff. So lets fix all the little problems right now.”
On the relationship between Lions Running Backs Coach Tashard Choice and Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs: “As far as Gibbs and Choice, I think that’s cool that now he’s with his college coach. There’s a little comfort level right there for a player. I think that helps.”
On his evaluation of the offensive unit with Lions QB Hendon Hooker and Lions QB Kyle Allen clicking: “I think it’s really good. Again, install every day. That’s a lot. I think they’ve handled it really well, just the operation and everything and making throws. Everything’s kind of scripted right now, we’ve done a couple move-the-ball periods, and they’ve still done pretty well. When we get in the preseason game, I’ll have them highlight the plays that they like, and that’s what I’ll do, because I want them to feel comfortable. That’s important.”
On what has impressed him from the offense so far: “The one thing that’s impressed me is all these weapons. Man, I’m just trying to get guys balls and much as I can. But I just think the overall grit, their attitude, because it’s been hard mentally. I want to see where they’re at, and they’ve responded. We’ve got a smart, tough football team. That’s the way this thing is built, and I’m real happy with where we’re at right now.”
On what he has seen from the offensive line and how he gauges its progress: “We’ve been on pads, what, for a few days now. So that’s the real, true reading of how we’re going to be. I do like where we’re at right now. I think (Lions OL Tate) Ratledge has done a good job. I mean, we had him at center first and now we moved him to guard. (Lions OL Graham) Glasgow is at the center now, I think that’s more natural for him. Because that center and quarterback, that needs to be right. The quarterback has got to feel right right there. I do like the way it’s going right now. It’s still early, the more we do it, the better we’re going to get.”
On what he likes about Lions RB David Montgomery and Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs being on the field together: “Go ask a defensive coordinator when you’ve got your five best players on the field. So we can throw it, we can run it, we can do whatever we want. I’m all about making the defense uneasy, and then maybe I might get an automatic defensive front coverage, or a blitz, or something like that. I’m always looking to put our best players on the field at all times. I come from the school, multiple packages of personnel groupings. In and out of the huddle, trying to keep the defense uneasy. That’s the school I come from, so it’s fun. All the coaches, we’re trying to create different things to get these guys open to run the ball. It’s going to be a cool thing.”
On what he has seen from Lions WR Jameson Williams to give him more complicated routes: “Well, you’ve seen the skillset. He’s very explosive, and this is year four. He’s gotten better every year, he’s matured. It’s tough for a young receiver to come in this League, because they don’t run a lot of different routes in college. And now he’s progressed through, and I want to take that skillset, and now isolate him. I think he’s been phenomenal. Again, we’re still scripting, we’re giving the young guys more reps to get them prepared for the preseason. I’m very excited where he’s at right now. He’s going to help us win some big games, obviously.”
On the difference in his decision making between OTAs and now: “I really didn’t go on vacation this year, until the last 10 days. I was just in here looking at what we did in OTAs and things like that, and looking at our defense. I basically game-planned our defense. I want to put this guy here, I want to put that guy there. We want to do this versus that, because I think that’s important. I want them to see where I’m coming from, what I’m going to do during the season. So, if that means me getting here early like I always do, so be it. I mean, I did it this morning. We’ve got certain situations, I’m looking at our defense. That way I can give some tips and reminders to (Lions QB) Jared (Goff) to help him. I just love the whole aspect of just sitting in my laboratory by myself and trying to dissect the defense. I think that’s fun.”
On how aggressive he can be in his first year as offensive coordinator and if he has trick plays up his sleeve: “Well, we’ll see. I’m going to do what (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) – whatever he wants. But we’re going to have everything. We’re going to have everything, so, we’re going to continue to do those things, because it has worked. We’re going to run things – whatever was working, we’re going to continue to do that.”
On where he sees the vertical passing game going: “Again, I’m isolating guys. I want to give them the chance, so I’m taking more shots. Plus, I want to see who can do it and then make the corrections, whether it’s a technique error, something like that. I’m all about that, because we have the guys that can do it. So, if you got them, utilize them.”
On how the Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs and Lions RB David Montgomery package is similar to what the Patriots were doing years ago: “Again, when I’m in 2021, what are they doing to that? So, I need to know what they’re doing, and then that’s based on what the plays we’re going to do in that package. So, it’s different, but 12-personnel is different. Can I get a base defense, or am I going to go nickel? Most teams are going to go nickel with us because of our tight end. Most teams do go nickel anyway. So, if you’ve got a base defense, that’s a different story. So same thing, 12-personnel, 2021, if they’re in a base defense, oh OK. Then we can do a lot of things. So, it’s based on that, what the defense is doing.”
On what he wants to see from himself during the preseason games: “Well, I’m going to be upstairs, so I can see it all the way from all the chaos. No, I’m good. I feel very comfortable this second time around. Very confident. I get the plays in and out, I’m on it. I’ve learned a lot since then, so I feel really good.”
On what he wants to see from Lions OL Tate Ratledge: “I love how smart he is. He’s just going to continue to grow. I thought he did an exceptional job when he was at center, I mean, that’s a lot mentally. Different snap counts, and audible. It was a lot, I thought he did a pretty good job. I’m real happy where he’s at.”
On what position Lions OL Tate Ratledge will play: “I’m not sure, you’ve got to ask (Lions Head Coach) Dan (Campbell) about that.”
