Zay Flowers isn’t spending his new money like a man ready to celebrate early. The Baltimore Ravens wide receiver just signed a four-year, $140 million extension that puts him tied with Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson for the fourth-highest paid wideout in football, and the deal comes with $108 million guaranteed. But Flowers made it clear he’s keeping his eyes on something much bigger than a shopping spree.
In an interview on Chris Simms Unbuttoned, Flowers said he’s helping remodel his dad’s house, but he’s not making any big personal purchases yet.
“For myself, I'ma do something after the Super Bowl. I'ma wait til we play in the Super Bowl and then I'll take care of myself,” Flowers said. “If we win the Super Bowl, then I might take the whole offense on a trip or something.”
That kind of talk fits the mood around Baltimore right now. The Ravens are heading into 2026 with a sharper edge, and Flowers is one of the clearest examples of it.
The noise around contracts, rankings, and outside opinions doesn’t seem to be landing. What matters inside that building is what comes next after a disappointing 2025.
Lamar Jackson is carrying the same attitude. He took a hit in the NFL Top 100, landing at No. 69 and trailing several quarterbacks he’s clearly better than. But when asked about it, Jackson brushed it off and said he doesn’t care - he’s there to play football.
That’s the kind of focus Baltimore needs. The Ravens have spent enough time being one of the league’s most talented teams.
The issue has been January, where the football has too often gotten messy and the playoff runs have fallen short. If this group is going to change that, the mindset has to change too.
A big part of that reset comes with Jesse Minter, the 42-year-old head coach who returned to Charm City this offseason. He’s bringing what should be a strong defense, but just as important is the message he’s carrying into the building. Minter talked in his introductory press conference about building the right habits all year long so the team is ready when the stakes rise.
“I think we will create standards that match the goals that we want to achieve and then work every day tirelessly to get to that point,” Minter said back in January. “Our plan will be built on being at our best late in the season into the playoffs, and I look forward to that challenge.”
From the players to the coaches to the front office, the message is lining up. The Ravens sound locked in on the same thing, and they’re not hiding it: they want the season to end with a Lombardi Trophy in their trophy case.
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