New OC Declan Doyle sends offseason warning to Lamar Jackson, Ravens

New Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle recently made it known that he is confident he can help star quarterback Lamar Jackson grow and improve. 

During his introductory news conference on Wednesday, Doyle shared somewhat of a challenge to Jackson and other members of the roster regarding the Ravens' offseason program, which is set to begin on April 6.

Ravens want Lamar Jackson, other players to attend voluntary workouts?

"We would expect them to be here, and certainly it is voluntary," Doyle said about his expectations for players attending those sessions, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN. "But also, if you want to say that you're going to win a championship, you want to say that you have championship standards and those are your goals and your expectations, certainly that's going to take work. That's going to take collaboration, that's going to take the beginning of building the relationship with their coaches [and] other players, starting off this next regime on the right foot."

Jackson has a long history of skipping portions of Baltimore's voluntary organized team activities. Specifically, Hensley noted that the two-time MVP didn't attend eight of nine springtime practices last year. 

Jackson's participation this coming spring could be noteworthy, as he is expected to sign a contract extension for reasons related to the salary cap at some point before players depart for their summer breaks. Clearly, Doyle and new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter would like to see Jackson at the team facility before players are required to report. 

What Declan Doyle has learned about Lamar Jackson

Doyle, who previously served as the Chicago Bears' offensive coordinator for the 2025 season under head coach Ben Johnson, revealed on Wednesday that he has "had a chance to visit" with Jackson multiple times this winter. 

"He's a guy with a growth mindset that he's played at a really high level and still wants to continue to work and feels like he can get better," Doyle said about Baltimore's QB1. "And so, me and the rest of the staff are really excited to chase that with him."

Jackson became the subject of some trade rumors before this past regular season wrapped up, but there continues to be no indication that the Ravens will move on from the 29-year-old. That said, it will be interesting to see how Jackson responds to Doyle's challenge, especially if the signal-caller doesn't ink an extension before April 6.