Zay Flowers Wants to Be a Raven for Life, Baltimore Does Too - A Deal Is Coming
The Baltimore Ravens enter the 2026 NFL season again as one of the favorites. They’ve got the highest Super Bowl odds of any team in the AFC across most major sportsbooks at the moment, ahead of the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, and Kansas City Chiefs. And the second-highest odds in the league, behind only the Los Angeles Rams.
But as training camp approaches, attention has shifted to a major contract decision revolving around Lamar Jackson’s favorite target, Zay Flowers.
According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, it “wouldn’t be surprising” if Flowers and the Ravens finalize a long-term extension before the start of the 2026 season.
The report points to mutual interest from both sides. General manager Eric DeCosta has publicly said the organization wants to keep Flowers in Baltimore long term, while the receiver has repeatedly emphasized his desire to spend his entire career with the team.
DeCosta recently said that one of the franchise’s biggest priorities is to reach a long-term agreement with Flowers and that he “fully expects” it to happen.
More news: Raiders Face Growing Problem With Taron Johnson Ahead of Training Camp
More news: Chiefs Face Concerning Reality With Top Patrick Mahomes Pass Protector
Selected No. 22 overall in the 2023 NFL draft, Flowers has evolved from a promising first-rounder to one of the top playmakers on a perennial contender. Through three seasons, he’s totaled 3,128 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns on 237 receptions, averaging 13.2 yards per catch. And his numbers have only gone up every year.
2025 was the breakout, with Flowers posting 1,211 yards (seventh in the NFL) and five TDs on 86 catches (118 targets), averaging 14.1 yards per reception and earning his second straight Pro Bowl nod. He also set a franchise record for most receiving yards in a single season by a Ravens wide receiver. That’s crazy when you consider names like Torrey Smith, Anquan Boldin, Michael Crabtree, Steve Smith Sr., and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown have all worn purple and black.
The Ravens already exercised Flowers’ fifth-year option, guaranteeing him $27.3 million for the 2027 season. But Spotrac currently has his market value at around $31 million, and the NFL’s top pass catchers are all earning closer to $35 million. He’s owed somewhere in that range, and Hensley projects Flowers’ next contract could be even higher.
Any deal over $35 million would put him inside the top four highest-paid receivers in the league.
Baltimore has a lot to gain from getting a deal done sooner rather than later. Flowers is a 25-year-old ascending wide receiver, and the market is only going up. Every major extension seems to reset the market, and locking him up now ensures Jackson’s favorite target sticks around for years to come.
More news: Colts' Troubling History Looms Over Jonathan Taylor Negotiations
2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
This story was originally published June 24, 2026 at 9:00 PM.