Zay Flowers remains sidelined as the Ravens inch closer to the start of the regular season, and the wide receiver’s absence is still being described in fairly calm terms.
Flowers did not practice last week, and head coach Jesse Minter initially eased the worry by calling the injury “minor.” Even so, Baltimore is now less than two weeks from kicking off the season, so every missed practice carries a little more weight. For now, though, Flowers still has not made it back onto the field.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley reported that Flowers was out again on Monday. There is still time for him to get back in sync before Baltimore’s Sept. 13 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, but the Ravens will be hoping for a more positive update soon.
The timing matters because Baltimore is bringing back the same core offensive pieces from last year, but there’s a new wrinkle in the mix with Declan Doyle handling the play-calling. Whatever Doyle has planned for Lamar Jackson and the offense, a healthy Flowers figures to be central to it.
That makes sense given what Flowers has already become. The No. 22 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft led the Ravens in receptions and receiving yards for a third straight season in 2025, piling up a career-best 86 catches for 1,211 yards. He has earned the organization’s full trust.
His status is even bigger now after signing a four-year, $140 million extension in early August. Flowers had largely stayed under the radar around the league before that deal, but that is no longer the case. With the money comes pressure, and he’ll be expected to deliver in 2026.
The same pressure sits on Baltimore, too. The Ravens are getting ready for their first official game in the post-John Harbaugh era, and they’ll need Flowers available if they want to start setting the tone the right way.
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Ravens Cut Decisions Spark Real Debate After Crowded Preseason Battles
Baltimores roster crunch after a competitive preseason left plenty of room for disagreement, and the Ravens initial 53-man cutdown reflected just how tight several position battles had become. Staff writers dug into the decisions that stood out most, with Andrew Vorhees, Rayshaun Benny and Corey Bullock among the names drawing the strongest reaction as the team tried to balance upside, depth and immediate need.
Those kinds of moves always invite a second guess, especially when a roster is built with so little separation from top to bottom. For the Ravens, the question now is not only which surprises were most painful in the short term, but how those choices shape the teams depth and flexibility as the season gets underway. [Read more 🡒]