One of the most exciting storylines of the Baltimore Ravens’ 2026 season is the new partnership between Lamar Jackson and Declan Doyle. You’re pairing one of the most explosive players in NFL history with a top young, innovative mind. The offense truly has a huge opportunity to explode in 2026.
However, it’s also unknown how it will go down. The expectations are sky high, but this is still Doyle’s first time being the lead playcaller. He’s just 30 years old, and there’s a lot for him to live up to.
One of the highest bars that Doyle will have to clear is helping Jackson return to MVP form. Jackson won an MVP in each of Greg Roman’s and Todd Monken’s first years as offensive coordinator. Can Doyle help him do the same?
Declan Doyle needs to help Lamar Jackson and Baltimore Ravens return to dominance
Obviously, Jackson is going to damage no matter who’s calling the plays. Since he’s entered the league, he’s proven time and time again that he is darn near unstoppable. However, Doyle will be tasked with helping Jackson not only rebound from an injury-riddled campaign, but also maintain that MVP form in the playoffs and help the Ravens break their January curse.
CBS Sports’ Evan Washburn recently put into perspective how big that weight is on Doyle’s shoulders.
"“This relationship and the chemistry between Lamar Jackson and Declan Doyle is the most important thing for this Ravens team,” Washburn said. “If Declan Doyle and Lamar Jackson aren’t on the same page, this team can’t get off to the start they need to get off to, but also reach the goals that they weren’t able to last year in terms of making the playoffs. Lamar’s on offensive coordinator number four…Greg Roman helped him get to an MVP-caliber season; Todd Monken helped him get to an MVP season. That’s the standard for Declan Doyle.”"Evan Washburn
Doyle has the ability to do all that and pass the test with flying colors. He might only be 30 years old, and the youngest playcaller in the NFL, but he has a wealth of experience. It’s the type of experience that even much older playcallers wish they had.
Doyle is already going into his eighth season in the league. That’s right, he’s been here since he was 22 years old. Simply mind-blowing.
But more important than that is who he’s learned under. He was pinned to Sean Payton’s hip from 2019 to 2022 (New Orleans Saints’ offensive assistant) and 2023 to 2024 (Denver Broncos’ tight ends coach), and worked alongside Ben Johnson as the OC of the Chicago Bears last year. He’s got the best of both worlds when it comes to veteran philosophies and new and improved styles of play.
One of those playstyles that Doyle will be taking with him to Charm City is the play action. The Bears were second in play action rate last year, which is an area where Jackson thrives. If you want to talk about potentially helping Jackson earn another MVP and shocking the world, that’ll be a catalyst in doing just that.
And even though Doyle wasn’t the playcaller in Chicago in 2025, he was a key part of the gameplanning process. That team was in the top-10 for both passing and rushing. With the talent in Baltimore’s offense, he should have no problem adapting and reaching unforeseen levels, which hopefully culminates with Jackson and the team flipping the script on their playoff woes.
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