2025 has been as up and down a season as the Baltimore Ravens have experienced in the John Harbaugh era. Consistency has eluded the team, and rarely have all three phases worked together.
For Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, he’s also been impacted by the rollercoaster nature of the Ravens’ season. Coming into the year as the undisputed number one receiver in Baltimore, expectations were high for the former first-round pick and Pro Bowler.
In some ways, Flowers has lived up to expectations, and in other ways, Flowers has fallen short.
Pro Bowler
Zay Flowers was elected to his second Pro Bowl of his career earlier this week, and the star wide receiver also triggered a clause in his contract that will be lucrative for him if the Ravens decide to pick up his fifth-year option.
According to Spotrac, Flowers’ Pro Bowl selection escalates his 2027 fifth-year option salary to a projected $28 million, a hefty price to pay for the Ravens.
Flowers, on the other hand, is worthy of being paid like a number one wide receiver. This is Flowers’ second year in a row with 1,000 receiving yards, and his third year straight with 70-plus catches.
Over his three years as a Raven, he’s been by far the Ravens’ best and most consistent receiver. Before this disastrous season, the Ravens had had a lot of success with Flowers as the top receiver, including two division titles and a number one seed in the AFC in 2023. Flowers has proven his effectiveness to the team; however, one issue is becoming persistent that might lead the Ravens to pause on paying Flowers top-of-the-line money.
Speed Skater
When Flowers fumbled against the New England Patriots last Sunday night, it was a bit of déjà vu for Ravens fans. Flowers’ fourth-quarter fumble sealed the deal on not only that game for the Ravens, but likely their season as well. The last time Flowers had a fumble as costly as this one was in the AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs two years ago.
In that game, the rollercoaster nature of Flowers Ravens’ career was exemplified. In the first quarter, Flowers caught a 30-yard touchdown pass to tie the game, but at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Flowers’ fumble just as he was about to cross the goal line to cut the score to a one-score game proved to be costly for the Ravens.
On the season, Flowers has three fumbles compared to two touchdown receptions, and after his fumble against the Patriots, one opposing player took some shots at him.
Patriots linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson said after the game that he knew Baltimore had some “speed skaters.” Baltimore Banner writer Sam Cohn wrote about Chaisson’s further clarification of those comments.
“The ball just gets very loose from their body … if you watch a speed skater and how they move and their body, it’s how a couple of their ball carriers move with the ball,” Chaisson said.
While the remark wasn’t only directed at Flowers, since both Derrick Henry and Mark Andrews were loose with the football, the reputation has still followed Flowers around.
In the offseason, the Ravens will either need to pick up Flowers’ fifth-year option or negotiate a long-term contract, as, despite some flaws, Flowers is currently the best receiver the team has.
Ravens WR Has Had a Rollercoaster Week