Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are heading into a new era in 2026, as John Harbaugh is no longer the team’s head coach. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken is gone, too.
The Ravens are now being led by new head coach Jesse Minter and new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, so an adjustment period will surely be needed for Jackson and Baltimore’s offense.
Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky made that very clear during a recent episode of ESPN’s Get Up and isn’t so sure that the Ravens’ offense will be up to speed early on in the campaign.
“I correlate this a little bit to Chicago last year,” Orlovsky said. “So Declan Doyle comes over as the new offensive coordinator for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. Two-time MVP, one of the great players of this last generation. It’s a very different offense that he’s been accustomed to. And if you think about Caleb (Williams) last year in Chicago, September and October, not a good offense, bottom 10 in the NFL.
“November, December became a top 5 offense in the NFL. It’s just going to take time. This is Lamar Jackson, a new interior offensive line, two young new receivers on the perimeter, only real one tight end that he’s got a history with. I just think waiting to see what this unit looks like in November is going to be much, much more reliable declaration of who they are rather than the first month of the season.”
Jackson had his fair share of struggles last year, as he missed four games due to injury and looked a bit off when he was on the field, throwing for 2,549 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 63.6 percent of his passes. He added 349 yards and a couple of scores as a rusher.
That being said, the Ravens still possess the ingredients for a productive attack. Derrick Henry remains a central figure in the ground game, and Jackson’s dual-threat ability continues to create mismatches when the protection holds.
Doyle’s background suggests he can diversify the passing concepts and help Jackson operate more effectively from the pocket while preserving the explosive elements that have defined the quarterback’s career.
Protection upgrades at the guard positions should help keep Jackson upright, reducing the risk of the injuries that disrupted last season.
Success will depend on patience. A new scheme, unfamiliar personnel combinations, and the natural learning curve that accompanies any major coaching change mean early results may not fully reflect the unit’s ceiling.
If the Ravens navigate those growing pains and allow the offense to settle, the combination of Jackson’s talent and Doyle’s coordination could produce the more complete attack Baltimore has sought.
Orlovsky’s warning is not one of pessimism but of realistic timing: the truest measure of this group is likely to arrive later in the year, once the pieces have had time to fit together.
