New Ravens OC Declan Doyle makes bold claim about Lamar Jackson

Recently hired Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle is 29 years old, the same age that star Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson turned this past January. 

During a recent appearance on "The Lounge" podcast, Doyle shared a bold claim about what Jackson could become while working with a staff led by new head coach Jesse Minter. 

Lamar Jackson "still has room to grow" while in his prime

"When you watch the tape, there's not really any throws that he can't make," Doyle said about Jackson, per Clifton Brown of the Ravens' website. "He's very arm-talented. I think there's even a higher ceiling to his game. You're looking at a guy that's been the MVP twice. And yet I still think just like all our guys, he still has room to grow. It's a surreal opportunity, and yet it's one that I feel very ready to do."

Doyle previously served as the Chicago Bears' offensive coordinator for the 2025 season under head coach Ben Johnson. Johnson called the offensive plays for the Bears, but Doyle will handle those duties while working with Jackson. 

As for Jackson, he has been the subject of some trade rumors amid the Ravens' need to sign him to a contract extension for reasons related to the salary cap. Some have speculated that the Las Vegas Raiders could trade for Jackson this spring, but a Wednesday report revealed that the Raiders plan to make Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza the first overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Declan Doyle looking to build trust with Lamar Jackson

In late January, Minter noted that he had already "had some great talks with Lamar" and was looking forward "to continuing to build a great relationship with" Jackson. During the podcast chat, Doyle also touched upon his relationship with Jackson. 

"That trust is going to be earned through time," Doyle acknowledged. "It's not like I can call up Lamar and say, 'Hey, I need you to trust me.' We'll earn that over time, and it's really going to be a two-way street. He's got to earn my trust [and] I have to earn his trust, and that goes for every player that we have. It's a huge piece of what we envision here. Trust is built off communication and accountability to that communication. Accountability is us saying something and doing what we say."

There continues to be no indication that the Ravens will seriously entertain trading Jackson before the 2026 NFL Draft gets underway. Perhaps Doyle's confidence regarding Jackson's ongoing development is one reason Baltimore will go all-in on keeping the two-time MVP their QB1 for the foreseeable future.