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Baltimore Ravens star wide receiver Zay Flowers is looking forward to practices without John Harbaugh leading them.
Flowers, 25, played under Harbaugh for three seasons and said his former coach put the Ravens through tough practices, when the veteran coach held as many contact practices as NFL rules allowed. The wide receiver even attributed the Raven’s injuries to tough practices.
“Full pads all the time,” Flowers said during a recent appearance on the 4th and South podcast. “However many pad practices you can get, every one of them. We’re doing one-on-ones in Week 17. Week 17 we’re doing one-on-ones, everyone’s there, we’re tired, we’re still going.”
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Zay Flowers and head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens stand on the sideline 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 the way we trained, the way we went about it. The load was heavy.”
Flowers was asked how the players were handling the heavier workload. “We don’t,” he replied.
The two-time Pro Bowler cited the number of yards he ran in practice as a testament to what Harbaugh’s practices were like.
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Head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens walks on the field before an NFL football game against the New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium. The match took place in Baltimore, Maryland on December 21, 2025. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
“(In) the first two games last year, brother, I (ran) for 10,000 yards (each),” Flowers said. “I ran for 20,000 yards in two games and I ran for another 4,000, 5,000, 4,000 (yards) in practice that week.”
New Ravens head coach Jesse Minter coached under Harbaugh for four seasons, and Flowers was concerned about how practices would go. The former Boston College star said the first thing he asked about Minter was how practices would go.
“Yeah, I talked to the new coach,” Flowers said. “He worked with Harbaugh in 2017, so he knows how it went, 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 is training 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)
Even though practices were difficult under Harbaugh, Flowers was still very productive. Last season, in 17 games, he caught 86 passes for 1,211 yards and five touchdowns as the Ravens’ leading receiver.
Flowers’ comments could also serve as a warning about what New York Giants players should expect from Harbaugh in his first year.
