The New York Jets have reportedly poached the Detroit Lions tights ends coach to work with new head coach Aaron Glenn.
According to the NFL Network, the Jets have agreed to terms with Steve Heiden to become their new offensive line coach.
Also, passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand is still considered the favorite to become the Jets’ next offensive line coach.
Jon Gruden raves about John Morton
The Lions hired John Morton as their new offensive coordinator, handing him the keys to one of the most prolific offenses in the league over the past three years.
Morton previously worked with the Lions in 2022, and helped install many of the elements of the scheme that hummed under the direction of former coordinator Ben Johnson. A well-traveled coach, Morton operates with influence from coaches such as Jon Gruden, Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh.
Gruden, who won a Super Bowl as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, spoke highly of the Lions’ new coordinator during a recent interview with the Detroit Free Press.
“I hope Detroit gets him,” Gruden said. “I know there’s other teams that are trying to get him, and I know Denver doesn’t want to lose him. But … if you can add Johnny Morton, that’d be a good reason to go have a glass of cabernet, the best one you’ve got.”
Gruden worked with Morton in Oakland and Las Vegas with the Raiders. Morton’s first coaching job was under Gruden with the Raiders in 1998, and the two worked together until Gruden was traded prior to the 2002 season.
They would reunite in 2019 when Gruden returned to the Raiders as head coach, and remained together until Gruden resigned in 2021.
While the former head coach was complimentary of Johnson, he had high praise for Morton, and believes he will be successful leading Detroit’s offense.
“And I know they lost a heck of a coach, but John Morton, you talk about a guy that can scheme them up,” Gruden explained. “Man, he’s at the top of the food chain in terms of the guys I’ve worked with.”
Here is a collection of other Detroit Lions headlines on Wednesday.
1.) The Athletic profiled Teddy Bridgewater, who coached Miami Northwestern’s football team to a state championship before returning to the Lions for the final stretch of the season to serve as Jared Goff’s backup quarterback.
2.) Lions Wire was present at the first day of Senior Bowl practices, and released a podcast recapping day one in Mobile, Ala.
3.) As part of a season recap series, the Detroit Football Network examined the performance of the Lions’ running backs in 2024.
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