Of all the things Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers could have complained publicly about this week, it’s kind of ironic he picked what he did to sound off on.
Flowers went on the “4th and South” podcast and, for some reason, decided to place the blame for Ravens’ injuries in recent seasons on former head coach John Harbaugh for making practices too hard.
“Full pads all the time,” Flowers said. “However many practices in pads you can get, every single one. We’re doing 1-on-1s Week 17 … Low-key, that’s why we had a lot of injuries. Because of how we practiced.”
Harbaugh was fired following 18 seasons as the head coach after the Ravens went 8-9 and missed the playoffs in 2025, and is now the head coach of the New York Giants.
The irony in Flowers’ complaints about hard practices under Harbaugh rests in the fact that his career has been defined by running the gamut of critical mistakes in the most important games as much as it has been by his talent.
In a practical sense, it would seem like harder practices would sharpen those edges. For Flowers, it seems to have only made him even softer, more entitled, and lacking accountability than he ever was. Also, if there are injury issues, they don’t seem to reflect on Flowers — he’s only missed 1 regular-season game in 3 seasons and hasn’t missed a game since his rookie year.
Zay Flowers in Line for Massive Contract Extension
Flowers, 5-foot-9 and 189 pounds, is entering the final season of the 4-year, $14 million contract he signed after the Ravens drafted him in the 1st round (No. 22 overall) of the 2023 NFL draft.
The Ravens seemed to indicate they believe Flowers is their future at the wide receiver position by picking up the 5th year option on his contract on March 31, which would pay him $27.29 million in 2027.
It also might indicate the Ravens are taking a “wait-and-see” approach to see how Flowers handles playing under new head coach Jesse Minter in 2026 before they make a massive financial commitment to him.
According to Spotrac, Flowers has a market value in the range of a 3-year, $92.9 million contract extension — which would place him among the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL.
The numbers show a player who deserves that kind of deal. Flowers is coming off consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons and consecutive Pro Bowl seasons in 2024 and 2025, including career highs of 86 receptions for 1,211 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2025.
Embarrassing Series of On-Field Mistakes
Flowers is much more known for his failures — most notably a Chernobyl-style meltdown in a 17-10 loss to the Chiefs in the 2024 AFC Championship Game.
Trailing 17-7 headed into the 4th quarter, Flowers received a critical taunting penalty that stalled out 1 drive, then fumbled diving into the end zone on what could have been the tying touchdown. Flowers compounded his mistake by slamming his hand into the bench following his turnover and lacerating his finger — an injury which required stitches.
It’s all part of a pattern of Flowers seeming to lack situational awareness when he’s in games — from those big mistakes to just knowing when to get out of bounds after a catch.
Don’t worry, though. Minter has already promised him he’s not going to have to practice as hard in 2026.
“(Minter) is like ‘You’re going to get your work, but it’s going to be a little bit easier on your body,’ ” Flowers said on 4th & South. “You’re gonna be fresher for the game.’”
Ravens WR Zay Flowers’ Practice Complaints Reveal Bigger Issue