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Baltimore Ravens star wide receiver Zay Flowers is looking forward to practices without John Harbaugh in charge.
Flowers, 25, played under Harbaugh for three seasons and said his former coach put the Ravens through difficult practices, as the veteran coach held as many contact practices as NFL rules allowed. The wide receiver even attributed the Raven’s injuries to tough practices.
“Pads full all the time,” Flowers said during a recent appearance on the 4th and South podcast. “Whatever amount of pad practices you can do, every single one of them. We’re going to do one-on-one in Week 17. In Week 17, we’re going to do one-on-one, everyone out there, we’re tired, we’re still going to keep going.”
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Zay Flowers and head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens stand on the sidelines during the national anthem before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 4, 2026. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
“That’s why we had a lot of injuries,” Flowers said. “Because of how we practiced, because of how we did it. The load was heavy.”
Flowers was asked how the players handled the increased workload. “We don’t,” he replied.
The two-time Pro Bowler cited how many yards he ran in practice as a testament to what Harbaugh’s practices were like.
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Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh walks on the field before an NFL football game against the New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium. The game took place in Baltimore, Maryland on December 21, 2025. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
“(In) the first two games last year, brother, (I ran) 10,000 yards (each),” Flowers said. “I ran for 20,000 yards in two games and I still ran 4,000, 5,000, 4,000 (yards) in practice that week.”
New Ravens head coach Jesse Minter coached Harbaugh for four seasons and Flowers was concerned about how practices would be run. The former Boston College star said the first thing he asked Minter was how practices would be run.
“Yeah, I talked to the new coach,” Flowers said. “He worked with Harbaugh in 2017, so he knows what it was like, how we worked with Harbaugh. So he says, ‘You’re going to do your job, but it’s going to be a little easier on your body. You’re going to be fresher for the game.’ That was the first conversation I had with him: What’s practice going to be like?”
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Zay Flowers of the Baltimore Ravens scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on January 4, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
While practices may have been difficult under Harbaugh, Flowers remained very productive. Last season, in 17 games, he caught 86 passes for 1,211 yards and five touchdowns as the Ravens’ top receiver.
Flowers’ comments could also serve as a warning about what New York Giants players should expect from Harbaugh in his first year.
