Wide receiver Zay Flowers emerged as the No. 1 pass-catching option for quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in 2025.
The former first-round NFL draft pick turned in career highs of 86 receptions and 1,211 yards in 2025 on the way to a second consecutive Pro Bowl selection. He added five touchdowns, and his 118 targets represented 48 more than any other Ravens receiver or tight end.
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On Thursday, April 23, Baltimore rewarded Flowers for three years of consistency. The Ravens picked up the fifth-year option on Flowers’ rookie contract.
According to NFL analyst Jordan Schultz, that means Flowers will earn $28 million in 2027. He is set to earn just $2.66 million in base salary for 2026, per Spotrac.
NFL teams may exercise a fifth-year option on players who are first-round picks. The deadline to exercise the option is May 1 before the player’s fourth season.
If a team declines the option, that player becomes a free agent after his fourth season. Picking up the option allows the team and player additional time to negotiate a long-term contract.
Flowers is open to those discussions. He is eligible for a long-term extension for the first time this offseason. “Absolutely. I don’t want to go nowhere else,” Flowers said, per the team website.
The Ravens selected Flowers with the 22nd overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Boston College. He has recorded the 11th-most receiving yards (3,128) since joining the league.
Flowers made news earlier this month when he said former head coach John Harbaugh was to blame for the injuries Baltimore suffered last season. The Ravens finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs.
Flowers said he spoke to new head coach Jesse Minter, a former Harbaugh assistant, about the issue.
“He worked with Harbaugh in 2017, so he knows how it was, how we worked with Harbaugh,” Flowers said. “So he says, ‘You’re going to get your work, 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 talk I had with him: How’s practice going to look?”