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Coaching changes occur every offseason, but few assistant hires carry the type of intrigue surrounding Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. Doyle turned 30 on March 6, 2026, and is already one of the most fascinating young coaches in the NFL. Hired by Ravens coach Jesse Minter in January to run Baltimore's offense, Doyle arrived with a reputation as a fast-rising offensive mind. He immediately became one of the biggest offseason storylines around a franchise built to contend for a Super Bowl.
The appeal is obvious. Doyle inherits Lamar Jackson, a two-time NFL MVP and one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in league history. He also takes over an offense featuring Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Devontez Walker, and Mark Andrews, giving Baltimore the type of personnel that should allow a creative playcaller to stress defenses in multiple ways.
The early reviews have only added to the buzz.
According to ESPN's Jamison Hensley, Doyle has been giving Jackson and the Ravens' offense a heavy amount of information during the offseason program to test how much they can absorb. At times, Flowers has had to tell the fast-talking coordinator to slow down.
That type of energy has quickly become part of Doyle's profile inside the building. Flowers called him "a genius," while Ravens defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver described him as "a human computer."
The Ravens are betting that Doyle's background can help restore one of the NFL's most dangerous attacks. Baltimore led the league in scoring in 2019 and finished first in total offense in 2024 before slipping to No. 16 in yards and No. 11 in points last season. Doyle's most recent stop suggests he can help engineer a quick turnaround. As Chicago's offensive coordinator under Ben Johnson, Doyle helped the Bears climb from last in the NFL in total yards in 2024 to No. 6 in 2025, even with Johnson retaining play-calling duties. Before Chicago, Doyle spent two seasons as the Denver Broncos' tight ends coach under Sean Payton and four seasons with the New Orleans Saints as an offensive assistant. During his time in New Orleans, the Saints went 41-25 and had eight players combine for 12 Pro Bowl selections.
That history matters because the coaches Doyle has worked under have consistently built offenses around elite playmakers. Johnson's Detroit offenses featured Amon-Ra St. Brown as the centerpiece of the passing game, while Payton's influence in Denver helped make Courtland Sutton a focal point. In Baltimore, Flowers could be positioned for an even larger role after consecutive Pro Bowl seasons. At the same time, Jackson's connection with Andrews, Bateman, and Walker gives Doyle several ways to attack defenses. Doyle has not tried to ease into the job. He acknowledged that the installation process would be simpler if he slowed down, but he said his previous NFL stops taught him the value of challenging players during the spring.
A first-time NFL playcaller, Doyle is still working through some details of his own process. He has not decided whether he will call games from the coaches' box or the sideline and plans to use the preseason to evaluate both options.
His offensive vision, however, is already clear. Doyle has emphasized explosiveness, tempo, cadence, and the importance of forcing defenses to defend every blade of grass. Last season in Chicago, Caleb Williams completed 28 passes that traveled at least 20 yards in the air, the fifth-most in the NFL in 2025. Jackson, who remains one of the league's most dangerous deep-ball quarterbacks when paired with protection and timing, could be the next beneficiary.
Jackson has already expressed confidence in the connection.
Flowers has been equally impressed by the offense's design.
The larger question is whether Doyle's first season in Baltimore could turn him into one of the NFL's hottest head coaching candidates. Sean McVay remains the benchmark for young NFL coaches after the Los Angeles Rams hired him in 2017 at 30 years and 353 days old. McVay's birthday is January 24, and he became the youngest head coach in modern NFL history when Los Angeles made the hire official.
Doyle has a chance to challenge that mark, but the window is narrow.
Because Doyle turned 30 on March 6, 2026, he would need to be hired by February 22, 2027, to beat McVay's age record clearly. If a team hired Doyle on February 23, 2027, he would essentially be at the same age threshold, depending on whether the calculation uses McVay's age as 30 years, 353 days or 30 years, 354 days.
That means Doyle could overtake McVay as the youngest permanent head coach hire in modern NFL history if he is one-and-done as Baltimore's offensive coordinator, but only if the 2027 hiring cycle moves quickly. Most NFL head coaching hires are made in January or early February, so the calendar could work in Doyle's favor if the Ravens' offense explodes in his first season.
The comparison is not far-fetched from a career-arc standpoint. McVay became a head coach after serving as Washington's offensive coordinator and building a reputation as one of football's brightest young offensive minds. Doyle is following a similar path, moving from Sean Payton's system to Johnson's staff before taking over an offense built around Jackson, one of the NFL's most unique players.
Doyle's age will remain part of the conversation, but his real opportunity lies in results. The Ravens have won regular-season games, division titles, and MVP awards with Jackson. What has remained elusive is a return to the Super Bowl. If Doyle helps Baltimore unlock another level offensively and pushes the Ravens back into championship contention, his name will be difficult for owner and general manager search committees to ignore.
For now, Baltimore is focused on what Doyle can do for the Ravens, not what his success could mean for another franchise. Still, the buzz is already building. Doyle is young, respected, aggressive, and surrounded by elite offensive talent. If his first season as a playcaller matches the early praise coming from the locker room, he could quickly become one of the most coveted coaching candidates in football.
The Ravens hired Doyle to help Jackson and Baltimore win a Super Bowl. If that partnership works, Doyle could also put himself on track to challenge McVay's place in NFL coaching history.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Could Ravens OC Declan Doyle make NFL coaching history?
Continue reading...
The appeal is obvious. Doyle inherits Lamar Jackson, a two-time NFL MVP and one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in league history. He also takes over an offense featuring Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Devontez Walker, and Mark Andrews, giving Baltimore the type of personnel that should allow a creative playcaller to stress defenses in multiple ways.
The early reviews have only added to the buzz.
According to ESPN's Jamison Hensley, Doyle has been giving Jackson and the Ravens' offense a heavy amount of information during the offseason program to test how much they can absorb. At times, Flowers has had to tell the fast-talking coordinator to slow down.
That type of energy has quickly become part of Doyle's profile inside the building. Flowers called him "a genius," while Ravens defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver described him as "a human computer."
The Ravens are betting that Doyle's background can help restore one of the NFL's most dangerous attacks. Baltimore led the league in scoring in 2019 and finished first in total offense in 2024 before slipping to No. 16 in yards and No. 11 in points last season. Doyle's most recent stop suggests he can help engineer a quick turnaround. As Chicago's offensive coordinator under Ben Johnson, Doyle helped the Bears climb from last in the NFL in total yards in 2024 to No. 6 in 2025, even with Johnson retaining play-calling duties. Before Chicago, Doyle spent two seasons as the Denver Broncos' tight ends coach under Sean Payton and four seasons with the New Orleans Saints as an offensive assistant. During his time in New Orleans, the Saints went 41-25 and had eight players combine for 12 Pro Bowl selections.
That history matters because the coaches Doyle has worked under have consistently built offenses around elite playmakers. Johnson's Detroit offenses featured Amon-Ra St. Brown as the centerpiece of the passing game, while Payton's influence in Denver helped make Courtland Sutton a focal point. In Baltimore, Flowers could be positioned for an even larger role after consecutive Pro Bowl seasons. At the same time, Jackson's connection with Andrews, Bateman, and Walker gives Doyle several ways to attack defenses. Doyle has not tried to ease into the job. He acknowledged that the installation process would be simpler if he slowed down, but he said his previous NFL stops taught him the value of challenging players during the spring.
A first-time NFL playcaller, Doyle is still working through some details of his own process. He has not decided whether he will call games from the coaches' box or the sideline and plans to use the preseason to evaluate both options.
His offensive vision, however, is already clear. Doyle has emphasized explosiveness, tempo, cadence, and the importance of forcing defenses to defend every blade of grass. Last season in Chicago, Caleb Williams completed 28 passes that traveled at least 20 yards in the air, the fifth-most in the NFL in 2025. Jackson, who remains one of the league's most dangerous deep-ball quarterbacks when paired with protection and timing, could be the next beneficiary.
Jackson has already expressed confidence in the connection.
Flowers has been equally impressed by the offense's design.
The larger question is whether Doyle's first season in Baltimore could turn him into one of the NFL's hottest head coaching candidates. Sean McVay remains the benchmark for young NFL coaches after the Los Angeles Rams hired him in 2017 at 30 years and 353 days old. McVay's birthday is January 24, and he became the youngest head coach in modern NFL history when Los Angeles made the hire official.
Doyle has a chance to challenge that mark, but the window is narrow.
Because Doyle turned 30 on March 6, 2026, he would need to be hired by February 22, 2027, to beat McVay's age record clearly. If a team hired Doyle on February 23, 2027, he would essentially be at the same age threshold, depending on whether the calculation uses McVay's age as 30 years, 353 days or 30 years, 354 days.
That means Doyle could overtake McVay as the youngest permanent head coach hire in modern NFL history if he is one-and-done as Baltimore's offensive coordinator, but only if the 2027 hiring cycle moves quickly. Most NFL head coaching hires are made in January or early February, so the calendar could work in Doyle's favor if the Ravens' offense explodes in his first season.
The comparison is not far-fetched from a career-arc standpoint. McVay became a head coach after serving as Washington's offensive coordinator and building a reputation as one of football's brightest young offensive minds. Doyle is following a similar path, moving from Sean Payton's system to Johnson's staff before taking over an offense built around Jackson, one of the NFL's most unique players.
Doyle's age will remain part of the conversation, but his real opportunity lies in results. The Ravens have won regular-season games, division titles, and MVP awards with Jackson. What has remained elusive is a return to the Super Bowl. If Doyle helps Baltimore unlock another level offensively and pushes the Ravens back into championship contention, his name will be difficult for owner and general manager search committees to ignore.
For now, Baltimore is focused on what Doyle can do for the Ravens, not what his success could mean for another franchise. Still, the buzz is already building. Doyle is young, respected, aggressive, and surrounded by elite offensive talent. If his first season as a playcaller matches the early praise coming from the locker room, he could quickly become one of the most coveted coaching candidates in football.
The Ravens hired Doyle to help Jackson and Baltimore win a Super Bowl. If that partnership works, Doyle could also put himself on track to challenge McVay's place in NFL coaching history.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Could Ravens OC Declan Doyle make NFL coaching history?
Continue reading...
