The Baltimore Ravens are among the most interesting teams heading into 2026. Yes, with all the talent on that roster, they should be a good team. However, there’s a new coaching staff in charge, so the ceiling and floor are almost completely unknown. It’s actually pretty exciting.
Much of that excitement surrounds the hiring of Jesse Minter. Although the 42-year-old is a first-year head coach, the expectations are high. He’s been praised as one of the top defensive minds. The defense is due for a major turnaround. As for the offense, there’s a mysterious man that Minter chose: Declan Doyle.
Like Minter, Doyle also has a ton of hype building around him. In his case, though, people are eager to learn what he has in his playcalling bag, as it’s his first season calling plays. Still, there’s reason to believe that he could be a goldmine.
Baltimore Ravens hold intriguing mystery that could be their golden ticket to success
For the average NFL fan, there’s a lot that’s unknown about Declan Doyle. Obviously, he’s gotten attention for a reason, and his hiring was actually deemed one of the better moves of the coaching cycle by many analysts. However, his 2025 campaign with the Chicago Bears was his first season as an offensive coordinator, and he didn’t even call the plays. Ben Johnson did. So how will Doyle handle the pressure?
Well, pretty much everything on Doyle’s resume tells you can be one of the best offensive coordinators in the NFL. I get it, he’s very young; just 30 years old. You can assume there will be some growing pains. But that could actually be a key separator. And while his meteoric rise on the coaching front has been shocking, he has earned every promotion. It’s easy to see what’s gotten him into his position so quickly.
Doyle learned under Ben Johnson last year, who quickly emerged as possibly the best offensive mind in the NFL over the last few years. That’s not a bad tree to pick from. What could be a better tree? Maybe Sean Payton. Doyle has learned plenty from him, too. He worked under Payton with the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos.
Evidently, there’s been some elite knowledge passed down to Doyle. From a Super Bowl-winning coach to one of the fastest-rising head coaches, he’s pretty much got the best of both worlds. He's got a little bit of old school and a little bit of new school. There’s no telling what he could come up with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry in the same backfield.
What we do know is that there will likely be a heavy focus on the run game. I mean, that was already known with Henry demanding as many touches as possible, but from what we saw from the Bears last year, that should be something Doyle carries over to Charm City.
Doyle’s background as a tight ends coach will also shine through, and the front office has already made it clear they’re transitioning from a fullback-minded team to one that’ll utilize more tight ends.
Overall, there’s no guarantee that Doyle will translate well as a playcaller. The same can be said for all the new coaches on Baltimore’s coaching staff. Everything is there for Doyle to lead a top offense, though. And Ravens fans should be very excited for what the future could hold.
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