Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes had a strong feeling the team might lose both of its coordinators during the recent NFL head coaching cycle. What caught him by surprise was the destination one of them chose.

“There were a lot of openings during that time, so I wasn’t sure where he’d end up. I knew he had talked with Chicago, but he’d interviewed with several teams, so I had no idea which way things would go,” Holmes said.

“I honestly thought Chicago would be the last place — or at least I hoped it would be. But no, I really didn’t know it was happening until he took the job, and we had a quick chat before he left. I was thrilled for him. He’s a fantastic coach, and they’re lucky to have him. Still, I was just like, man, why Chicago?”

With Johnson headed to Chicago, the Lions filled the offensive coordinator role with a familiar name, hiring John Morton — Denver Broncos pass game coordinator and native of Auburn Hills.

Morton’s move back to Michigan is a return in more ways than one. A graduate of Western Michigan, he previously served as a senior offensive assistant under Dan Campbell in 2022. Since he already helped shape the current offense, Holmes doesn’t expect major changes in scheme or style — even with matchups against Johnson’s Bears on the horizon.

“There will definitely be some new elements. But I think when it comes to how things look, that really stems from Dan, who’s always aiming to evolve — with or without Ben,” Holmes said.

“But the fact that both John Morton and Ben were with us in 2022, and Dan had oversight of it all, I don’t think we’ll see any drastic changes. Still, we’ll notice some growth, just because Dan always looks to push things forward.”

The Lions won’t need to wait long to see their former play-caller. Johnson will return to Detroit early when the Bears face the Lions at Ford Field in Week 2 on Sept. 14.