One of the biggest questions around the Baltimore Ravens' offseason remains Zay Flowers' need for a new contract. Ahead of the May 1 deadline, the Ravens are expected to pick up Flowers' $27.2 million fifth-year option for the 2027 season. However, as Ravens fans learned with former center Tyler Linderbaum, this means very little without a long-term extension.
As such, until the two sides agree to an extension, there will be some understandable questions about his future. Luckily for Ravens fans, Flowers made it clear that he wants to stay in Baltimore and that he's not being distracted by the need for a new contract.
"I ain't really paying attention to it if I'm being honest," Flowers said. "I go train every day, I let my agents handle that. I don't talk to them in the week about it, like when are we gonna get this done. I'm not talking about that. When it come up, it come up, and that's when, that's when y'all will know."
"Absolutely. I don’t want to go nowhere else," Flowers said definitively when asked whether he desires to stay in Baltimore long-term.
The writing is on the wall for Zay Flowers to get a new deal with the Baltimore Ravens
Both regarding his commitment to the Ravens and that he isn't paying attention to outside noise, Flowers' comments should be music to Ravens fans' ears.
Flowers' value to the Ravens' offense is immense. The 25-year-old wide receiver has emerged as a linchpin in Baltimore's offense. Notably, last year Flowers set a franchise record reeling in 1,211 receiving yards. It's even more impressive when accounting for the time that Lamar Jackson missed. With the Ravens' new coaching staff looking to lean into the passing game more, retaining Flowers is an obvious priority.
After such a stellar season, it was always clear that Flowers' next contract wasn't going to be cheap. This became even more apparent following Smith-Njigba's market-setting four-year $168.8 million deal. It would be easy for Flowers to see his fellow draftmate get such a large contract and be distracted by his own need for a new deal. Thankfully, though, his comments show that he's only focused on continuing to work on his craft this offseason.
Now, Flowers' new contract won't be as lucrative as JSN's deal. Regardless, it's clear that this historic deal altered the wide receiver market and will drive up the price for Flowers' new deal. In turn, we may see negotiations take a bit longer than expected, and fans might balk when they see Flowers' new contract.
Nevertheless, it's clear that retaining him will be a priority for the Ravens, and Zay wants to stay put. While Flowers might not be considered an ideal No. 1 WR in the eyes of some fans, I think every Ravens fan understands his true value and that he still has another level to reach.
All in all, Flowers' comments are a great sign given his importance to the Ravens' offense and ability to further elevate in the new system.