The Ravens spent their offseason makeover with one person squarely in mind: Lamar Jackson.
That was the point from the start, and Baltimore made sure Jackson stayed in the loop while it searched for a new coaching direction. The team kept him updated on candidates and brought him into virtual interviews, with Jesse Minter and Declan Doyle eventually emerging as the names that mattered most to both the organization and its star quarterback.
Now the work is happening behind the scenes, and Doyle is putting in serious hours to make sure the offense fits Jackson instead of forcing Jackson to fit the offense.
Jackson has long been the engine of this team, and everyone around the Ravens seems to understand that. The new staff does too. For Baltimore, the mission is simple: build around the two-time MVP and give him every chance to thrive in 2026.
Doyle, who is 30, has taken that assignment personally. When he was hired, he and Jackson spent more than an hour talking through the vision and what Doyle would need to do to shape the offense around him. That conversation was only the beginning.
On Wednesday, Doyle described how that relationship has continued to grow through regular one-on-one meetings.
“Following all those [offensive] meetings, [Jackson] and I sit down one-on-one in my office," Doyle said. "It takes as long as it takes.
I explained that to him, ‘I don’t always want to hold you hostage but I need to know what you’re feeling.’... Trying to make sure that line of communication stays open and make sure that his opinion is valued.
When we're calling plays in a game, I never wanna call a play that he doesn't feel great about."
That approach says plenty about where Doyle’s head is entering his first season as the lead play-caller. He isn’t treating this like a quick install or a box to check. He’s trying to build real trust, keep the dialogue open, and make sure Jackson feels good about the offense every step of the way.
The meetings aren’t ending when the regular season starts, either. Doyle plans to keep sitting down with Jackson as often as needed, learning what he likes and how he’s feeling at any given moment.
For Baltimore, that’s the whole point. If this offense is going to run at its highest level, it has to run through Jackson. Doyle knows it, the Ravens know it, and now the job is to make that vision work on the field.
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