Ravens Hire Israel Woolfork as Quarterbacks Coach to Work With Lamar Jackson

Israel Woolfork, a 35-year-old coach who spent three seasons as the Arizona Cardinals’ quarterbacks coach, has been hired by the Baltimore Ravens to coach quarterbacks and work directly with Lamar Jackson. The hire was reported as completed on February 4, 2026, and represents a notable shift in the Ravens’ offensive coaching room ahead of the next season.

Woolfork brings a background that includes playing wide receiver at Grand Valley State University from 2008 to 2012, where he helped lead the team to a Division II national championship in 2009. Woolfork graduated with a degree in sports leadership and spent nine seasons on the Miami University coaching staff from 2013 through 2021, moving from graduate assistant to running backs coach to wide receivers coach. He participated in NFL coaching fellowship programs with the Cleveland Browns in 2021 and 2022; sources differ on whether the 2022 fellowship was the Bill Walsh program or the Bill Willis program.

The Cardinals hired Woolfork on February 21, 2023, and he served as Arizona’s quarterbacks coach for the 2023 through 2025 seasons. In Arizona, Woolfork worked with Kyler Murray and Jacoby Brissett. Kyler Murray produced 3,851 passing yards in 2024 with a 68.8 percent completion rate, 21 touchdown passes, and a 93.5 passer rating. Murray and Brissett combined for 4,328 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in the most recent season covered by reports. Under Woolfork, the Cardinals finished with the league’s seventh-best passing attack and an 11th-ranked interception rate of 1.69 percent. Jacoby Brissett averaged 240.4 passing yards per game, the eighth-most in the NFL, and posted career highs while working with Woolfork.

Woolfork is arriving in Baltimore after Tee Martin confirmed his departure from the Ravens via an Instagram post. Woolfork’s hire is presented as a strategic fit for Lamar Jackson, a 29-year-old two-time NFL MVP who is coming off an injury-hampered season and faces expectations to return to top form. Woolfork’s experience coaching a dual-threat quarterback in Kyler Murray and his reputation for relationship-building were explicitly cited by reporting as reasons for the fit. Kyler Murray has described Woolfork’s approach: "He's really receptive. He'll shoot you straight but also can hear you out and understand what I'm seeing and what I'm feeling. We just bounce back ideas. I think that's something that you've got to have in this game," a quote attributed to an ESPN story.

Reporting indicates the Arizona Cardinals initially blocked Woolfork from interviewing for other jobs earlier in the offseason, then permitted him to explore opportunities; Woolfork reportedly interviewed for offensive coordinator positions, including with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions. Sources diverge on which offensive coordinator Israel Woolfork will report to in Baltimore, with some reports naming Declan Doyle and others naming Joe Lombardi. That discrepancy remains unresolved in public reporting.

For Baltimore residents, the hire matters both on the field and in the community: Lamar Jackson’s performance affects game attendance, local business activity on game days, and the broader civic energy around the team. The next steps for verification are an official Ravens announcement confirming Woolfork’s title, whom he will report to on the offensive staff, and comments from Lamar Jackson and Woolfork about plans for the offseason. This hire sets the stage for a compressed period of installation and evaluation as the Ravens prepare for organized team activities and training camp.