Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been ranked heading into Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.
The NFL provides a weekly quarterback ranking, and Baltimore Ravens passer Lamar Jackson is on that list. However, his ranking may be a bit lower than expected.
Jackson is coming off a down year, in which multiple injuries hindered his ability to run the ball and led to an underwhelming season in general for the Ravens. Those injuries no doubt played a part in his ranking, as he comes in at No. 8 overall.
Per NFL.com's Nick Shook, Jackson is in the second tier of quarterbacks, alongside Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott, Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow, and more.
The reason behind Jackson's placement on this list has to do with his health, which may be a narrative he won't shed until the end of the 2026 season.
"Lamar Jackson has to accomplish the same while finding his place in another new offense, which is directed by first-time coordinator Declan Doyle," Shook wrote.
"The same" refers to the above comment about Burrow staying healthy, which Shook then attributed to the Ravens' quarterback. It does make sense why the media are hyperfixating on the health of Jackson, as his inability to take the field led to multiple losses.
Jackson's injuries in 2025 were an outlier in the grand scheme of his career, but one thing Shook wrote is a bigger mystery. How will he operate under new defensive coordinator Declan Doyle?
The Ravens quarterback has two league MVP awards, both of which came when new offensive coordinators were installed. Greg Roman in 2019 and Todd Monken in 2023 led to great success for Jackson.
Now, Jackson has Doyle. The pair have worked well with one another through OTAs and minicamp, but the proof will be how it all comes together on the field.
Doyle has already made a significant change to how Jackson operates, in that he will take snaps directly from center more in 2026. This is a change from the quarterback playing in the shotgun or pistol formation, which he has done quite a bit in recent years.
How this impacts the run game for Jackson remains to be seen, but the Ravens passer simply said he does not care about where he lines up; all he cares about is winning.
The change in his stance has also helped Jackson's footwork, which he admitted when hyping up Doyle's offense. Again, how it all comes together on the field remains to be seen.
Baltimore will get its first chance to demonstrate just how good Doyle and Jackson can be when they take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Sep. 13. r
