The Baltimore Ravens reportedly have hired Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle for the same role, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Doyle is making the lateral move because he’ll call plays in Baltimore, a role he didn’t have in Chicago.
Doyle, 29, reportedly was also under consideration for the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive coordinator vacancy before withdrawing. The Bears reportedly gave Doyle permission to interview with both teams. The Eagles hired Sean Mannion as offensive coordinator on Thursday.
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In his first year as the Bears’ offensive coordinator, Doyle helped lead Chicago to its first NFC North title since 2018. After beating the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round for their first playoff win since 2010, the Bears suffered a 20-17 overtime loss in the divisional round to the Los Angeles Rams.
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The Bears’ surprise turnaround this season was sparked by the development of second-year quarterback Caleb Williams under first-year head coach Ben Johnson and Doyle. Williams set the Bears’ single-season passing record and threw for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
With new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter focused on the defensive side of the ball, Doyle will be expected to call plays for the first time. Johnson called the Bears’ offensive plays as head coach. Doyle will also be expected to work his magic with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Doyle was the youngest offensive coordinator in the league last season and is the same age as his new starting quarterback.
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Jackson is coming off a disappointing year in which he played through injuries for most of the season. Last season, Jackson threw for 2,549 yards, 21 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, plus 349 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Jackson’s passing numbers were his lowest since 2021, and his rushing numbers were career lows.
The Ravens’ offense ranked 16th in total yards per game and 27th in passing yards last season, while the Bears ranked in the top 10 in both categories. After the Ravens’ loss to the Steelers in the regular season finale, they failed to make the playoffs despite entering the season with high expectations.
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As a result, the Ravens fired former head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons and hired Minter, the former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator.
Doyle becomes the latest coach from the Sean Payton tree to be highly coveted. Before joining the Ravens, he was the tight ends coach of the Denver Broncos and an offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints, both under Payton. Doyle started out as a student assistant at the University of Iowa after playing quarterback there and at Iowa Western Community College.