Fact Check: Did Declan Doyle Criticize Lamar Jackson in His First Press Conference as Ravens OC?

Declan Doyle didn’t begin his tenure with the Baltimore Ravens by diagramming plays. He began it with a conversation.

Before accepting the offensive coordinator job earlier this month, the 29-year-old spent more than an hour on a video call with Lamar Jackson. “I really wanted to see if we were compatible,” Doyle had said about the call. “And if that was a fit.” 

Jackson, a two-time MVP still only 29 himself, is now entering another reset year after Baltimore missed the playoffs and underwent a coaching change. Doyle arrives with the task of elevating an offense that saw Jackson throw 21 touchdown passes last season and rush for a career-low 349 yards. The mandate isn’t to reinvent Jackson. But has Doyle already started to take a shot at his QB?

The Claim: Declan Doyle criticized Lamar Jackson’s post-snap decision-making last season while also encouraging him to attend OTAs, something he skipped a year ago. This, even as Baltimore looks to have Jackson restructure his contract to create salary cap space.

Source of the Rumor: It stemmed from a post by Skip Bayless. It suggested Doyle questioned Jackson’s improvisational instincts and subtly called him out for skipping voluntary offseason workouts.

“The new Ravens OC, a 29-year-old who has never called an NFL play, just criticized Lamar Jackson’s after-snap decision-making last season … while urging him to be at OTAs (he wasn’t last yr) as Balt wants Lamar to restructure to create cap. This will not go well,” Bayless wrote on X.

Verdict: False. The claim that Declan Doyle criticized Lamar Jackson’s post-snap decision-making during last season’s campaign is False.

Multiple readers and reporters who followed the press conference noted that Doyle did not criticize Lamar Jackson at any point during the introductory session. The OTA comment applied to the entire roster, not Jackson specifically. Doyle, in fact, repeatedly praised Jackson’s talent, mindset, and developmental potential.

What Doyle actually said

When discussing Jackson’s game, Doyle framed the conversation around how difficult he is to defend, not around what he lacks.

“The challenge with him for a defense is that they have to defend two plays on every play,” Doyle said. “They have to defend the first play that we call … and then they have to defend the second element, which is him creating on his own.”

That “second element,” the improvisation, was not presented as a flaw. Doyle described it as something Jackson has been doing “since he was a kid,” pointing to an instinct that puts constant pressure on defenses. Where Doyle identified potential improvement was within the structure of the called play.

“That first play can be more consistent at times, with his eyes, with his footwork, within the system,” said the coach.

Doyle’s emphasis was not on limiting Jackson’s creativity after the snap. It was on sharpening execution before the play breaks down. The implication was that if the designed concept operates more efficiently, Jackson’s off-script ability becomes even more dangerous.

Doyle reinforced that tone throughout the press conference. He described Jackson as someone with a “growth mindset” and a “hunger to learn,” making it clear the coaching staff is eager to build alongside him rather than overhaul his game.

As for offseason participation, Doyle was asked broadly about expectations for attendance during the spring program. His response applied to the roster as a whole. “We would expect them to be here, and certainly it is voluntary. But also, if you want to say that you’re going to win a championship … certainly that’s going to take work,” he said.

The language was plural, “them.” And Doyle acknowledged the voluntary nature of OTAs. At no point did he single out Jackson, reference last year’s attendance, or connect the comment to contract discussions.