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Baltimore Ravens star wide receiver Zay Flowers is looking forward to practicing without John Harbaugh running around.
Flowers, 25, played under Harbaugh for three seasons and said his former coach put the Ravens in difficult positions, as the veteran coach ran as many contact practices as allowed by NFL rules. The wide receiver even attributed the Raven’s injuries to tough practices.
“The pads are full all the time,” Flowers said during a recent appearance on the 4th and South podcast. “However many practices in the pads you can get, one by one. We do one by one in week 17. Week 17, we do one by one, everybody out 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 sidelines during the national anthem before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Jan. 4, 2026. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
“That’s why we’re so hurt,” Flowers said. “Because of the way we practiced, how we went. The burden was heavy.”
Flowers was asked how the players handled the very difficult task. “We don’t want to,” he responded.
The two-time Pro Bowler cited his rushing yards as evidence of Harbaugh’s athleticism.
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Head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens walks on the field before the NFL football game against the New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium. The game took place in Baltimore, Maryland, on Dec. 21, 2025. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
In the first two games last year, bro, I ran for 10,000 yards (each),” Flowers said. “I ran for 20,000 yards in two games and I’m still running 4,000, 5,000, 4,000 (yards), in practice that week.”
New Ravens coach Jesse Minter coached under Harbaugh for four seasons, and Flowers was worried about how practices would be run. The Boston College star said the first thing he asked Minter was how these practices would be conducted.
“Yes, I talked to the new coach,” Flowers said. “He worked with Harbaugh in 2017, so he knows what it was like, how we worked with Harbaugh. So he says, ‘You’re going to get 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’s practice going to look like?”
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Zay Flowers of the Baltimore Ravens scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on Jan. 4, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Although 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 be a warning of what New York Giants players should expect from Harbaugh in his first year.
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