The Baltimore Ravens haven’t done much wrong this offseason. They made several big-time improvements at key positions, and now, they’ve reached an agreement on a long-awaited contract extension with wide receiver Zay Flowers.
It’s a very expensive deal at four years, $140 million, but Flowers deserves it. He’s already a multi-time Pro Bowler, finished seventh in the NFL in receiving yards last year with 1,211, and has been an extremely efficient target for Lamar Jackson. And it’s that relationship with Jackson that might make this deal even more important.
We all know about the ongoing contract situation surrounding Jackson. The Ravens are in a tight spot, and while the two-time MVP deserves to reset the market, evidently, negotiations have presented a difficult obstacle. As Flowers signs through 2031, though, that could be the exact spark to push the exhausting Jackson talks across the finish line.
Zay Flowers extension may be a game-changer for Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson talks
The Lamar Jackson contract is the move most people thought would come first this offseason. His monumental cap hit signaled that the team had to make a decision on Jackson’s deal soon. They did, but unfortunately, it became another restructure rather than an extension.
The Ravens are still looking to extend Jackson. I mean, you should really go to endless lengths to reach an agreement with your two-time MVP quarterback. However, it doesn’t look like that’ll come in 2026, barring some late progress in those talks.
There’s reason to believe that the Flowers move can help bridge the gap in Jackson negotiations, though. We don’t know how far apart the two sides are, but if Eric DeCosta were smart, he’d already be offering Jackson a league-record contract. Signing his top weapon through 2031 might be a little extra motivation for Jackson to play ball and figure this whole issue out.
For Jackson, there’s no better place to be than Baltimore at this point. The team already improved Jackson’s offensive line, and they continued this seemingly Jackson-focused offseason by extending Flowers, with whom the superstar quarterback has electric synergy.
Jackson and Flowers have quickly built one of the best duos in the league over the past few years. Their chemistry is off the charts. Whenever Jackson drops back, you best believe that Flowers is going to find a way open—and if the initial read isn’t there, Jackson’s escapability and Flowers’ relentless route-running usually give them the chance to turn a broken play into a splash play.
That relationship isn’t something that the Ravens can afford to let go to waste. They finally have a star wide receiver, and with the Flowers extension (and also the Rashod Bateman extension last offseason), it’s clear they’ve gotten serious about paying their wideouts. Now, it’s time to get Jackson locked in.
By all accounts, the team is eager to sign Jackson to another extension, and although it hasn’t come yet, hopefully the Flowers deal paves a path to common ground.
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