Jets Fire Offensive Coordinator John Morton
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Jets are making a change at offensive coordinator.
The team has fired John Morton after one season leading the offense, WFAN's Brian Costello confirmed.
Jets making change at OC: Johnny Morton is out, per sources. Two potential replacements: former Steelers' OC Todd Haley and Jets' QB coach Jeremy Bates, who was well liked and respected in building last year.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 17, 2018
The Jets averaged 305.2 yards per game (ranked 28th in the NFL) in 2017 under Morton, who was the New Orleans Saints' wide receivers coach before the Jets hired him last January. New York was 19th in rushing offense and 24th in passing offense.
The Jets went 5-11 this past season.
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ESPN's Rich Cimini reported that Morton had philosophical differences with head coach Todd Bowles and rubbed some players the wrong way.
And while it's not clear if it was a factor in his firing, Morton raised eyebrows when he admitted he had thrown in the towel during a 23-0 loss to the Broncos in Week 14. He called run plays on eight of the offense's final 12 snaps, going three-and-out on all four of the Jets' fourth-quarter possessions.
"The game was out of hand, and I didn't want some bad stuff to happen. Okay?" Morton said of the game. "I don't like saying 'no más,' but, listen, it was time to get out of there."
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that two potential replacements could be former Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley and Jets quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates, who was the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator in 2010.