Will Declan Doyle continue Lamar Jackson MVP trend?

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has won two NFL MVP awards, and both came during the first season under a new offensive coordinator. With Declan Doyle taking over the offense in 2026, ESPN analysts believe history could repeat itself.

During ESPN’s NFL Live, host Laura Rutledge pointed out the trend that’s followed Jackson throughout his career.

“This is the third time that the Ravens have hired a new OC since drafting him in 2018, and the previous two times he won NFL MVP in the first year with the new OC,” Rutledge said, noting Jackson won the award under Greg Roman in 2019 and Todd Monken in 2023.

NFL analyst Ben Solak believes Doyle’s offense won’t require a dramatic stylistic adjustment from Jackson, but rather an increased emphasis on execution and communication before the snap.

“I think it’s less about how it looks different and more about how it actually sounds different,” Solak said.

He explained that Doyle’s background in the Sean Payton and Ben Johnson coaching trees places a premium on detailed play calls and offensive operation. Solak added that Doyle wants to attack the middle of the field and operate from under center—two areas in which Jackson already excels—and said that if Baltimore gets comfortable in the new system quickly, “that third MVP might be in the cards.”

Mina Kimes agreed, arguing that Jackson is perhaps the quarterback best equipped to thrive in the style of offense Doyle plans to implement. She pointed to Jackson’s success operating from under center and noted that he has been one of the league’s best quarterbacks throwing over the middle of the field, making him an ideal fit for Doyle’s offensive philosophy.

“Lamar Jackson is the one I worry about the least,” Kimes said.

Doyle enters his first season as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator after a decade in coaching. He began as a student assistant at Iowa before spending four seasons with the New Orleans Saints as an offensive assistant. He later served as tight ends coach for the Denver Broncos before becoming offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears, where he helped engineer one of the NFL’s biggest offensive turnarounds in 2025.

Veteran tight end Mark Andrews also expressed confidence that Jackson will flourish in the new system.

“This is a different offense than we’ve been a part of since we got into the league — it’s totally different than anything we’ve done,” Andrews said. “I think he’s going to make it his own, adapt to it and be the best that there is. That’s the type of person that he is and that’s the type of guys and coaches that we have. I think that’s a scary sight when you see Lamar Jackson adding new things to his repertoire.”