The Baltimore Ravens began a new chapter when offensive coordinator Declan Doyle made it clear that every player, including Lamar Jackson, should be present for voluntary OTAs in May. Coaches cannot force attendance, yet Doyle framed it as a requirement for a team that claims it wants a Super Bowl. Meanwhile, former NFL defensive end and ESPN analyst Marcus Spears warned Lamar Jackson not to brush off that message.

“If Lamar Jackson’s a– ain’t there in the off-season with a brand new offensive coordinator, we going to come on during this football season,” Spears said. “And the first minute they struggled, we going to talk about Lamar wasn’t there when this coach showed up.”

He also feels it’s a great move by Doyle as a newly appointed offensive coordinator.

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“I think that’s a big move by Declan Doyle,” Spears added. “It’s establishing respect. It’s establishing, ‘I’m the offensive coordinator, but I’m wanting my quarterback here, the guy that I’ve seen do big things in this league to be a big part of the success that we have.’ This will be the most polarizing offensive coordinator job in the league because of who Lamar Jackson is.”

After the organization moved on from John Harbaugh for falling short of the playoffs and ultimately the Super Bowl, the young staff under Jessie Minter will face pressure to deliver in 2026. Therefore, Doyle has wasted no time shaping his vision. He believes there is a higher ceiling in Jackson’s game, especially when it comes to sharpening the first read before going off script.

“That first play can be more consistent at times with his eyes, with his footwork within the system,” Doyle said. “That’s kind of what I’ve noticed as we’ve watched the tape.”

Jackson, 29, already owns elite numbers, tying the best career passer rating at 102.2 and rushing for 6,522 yards, the most ever by a quarterback.

“The quarterback is the eraser of game-planning errors or mistakes,” Doyle said. “If there’s something where we expected a certain coverage and we didn’t get it, at times the quarterback’s got to put the cape on and go be Superman. And so in a lot of ways that’s the similarity between their games is that Lamar does have the ability to go do that at times.”

In 2025, Jackson posted a 103.8 passer rating with 2,549 yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 13 games.

So now the question is, will Lamar show up for voluntary OTAs, and does this partnership with Doyle click immediately? At the same time, Baltimore must resolve its potential contract situation with their quarterback.

The Baltimore Ravens look to sort out Lamar Jackson’s contract situation

With Lamar Jackson under center, the Baltimore Ravens do not face a quarterback crisis. However, they need to sort out his contract before it’s too late.

Jackson just wrapped up the third season of a five-year, $260 million deal he signed on May 4, 2023. At that time, $185 million carried guarantees, including $135 million locked in at signing. A $22.5 million guaranteed option hit on March 17, while his $20.25 million base salary for 2025 and a $750,000 roster bonus also carry guarantees. Because he remained on the roster past the fifth day of the 2025 league year, $29 million of his 2026 pay now locks in fully.

On top of that, $750,000 roster bonuses await on the fifth day of the 2026 and 2027 league years. That is a serious commitment for the franchise. At the same time, Jackson also holds a no-franchise tag clause and a no-trade clause, meaning any deal would require his approval. However, those heavy cap numbers make it difficult for the Ravens to build freely around him.

Still, Baltimore can study the Kansas City Chiefs. They reshaped Patrick Mahomes’ deal, slashing his 2026 cap hit from $78.2 million to about $34.65 million and freeing over $43.56 million in cap space. They converetd $54.45 million of his 2026 base salary into a signing bonus. The contracts differ, since Mahomes runs through 2031 while Jackson has two seasons left, yet the lesson remains clear. Contenders adjust; they do not stall.

Therefore, Eric DeCosta can lower Jackson’s 2026 cap charge by extending him and spreading future money across new years. Eventually, this becomes about commitment more than math. Jackson has already shown he deserves a record figure. Now Ravens Flock waits to see how boldly Baltimore acts.