Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers thinks John Harbaugh’s physical practices had something to do with the team’s injuries.
In an appearance on “4th and South,” Flowers said Harbaugh’s full pad practices were too punishing for the Ravens, and they contributed to late-season injuries.
“Full pads, all the time,” Flowers said. “However many practices in pads you can get, every single one. We’re doing one-on-ones Week 17. Everybody out there’s tired. Low-key, there were a lot of injuries because of how we practiced.”
Ravens WR Zay Flowers on John Harbaugh’s practices in Baltimore
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) April 17, 2026
“Full pads all the time. However many practices in pads you can get, every single one. We’re doing 1-on-1s Week 17…Low-key, that’s why we had a lot of injuries. Because of how we practiced” pic.twitter.com/dYDqqHRR4b
Flowers seemingly suggests that the practices themselves did not necessarily cause the injuries, but they caused the players to wear down late in the season. Notably, Flowers himself suffered a knee injury late in the 2024 season, and Harbaugh was blamed for not resting the wide receiver in what was a meaningless Week 18 game.
Flowers expressed optimism that new head coach Jesse Minter might be a bit more forgiving in the practice department. It’s possible that these concerns were shared internally, and it might have been a reason the Ravens chose to move on from Harbaugh at the end of last season. That decision surprised many, but it simply might have been time for a change.
