The concept of an extension for Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers has been within the air for over a yr now. The team’s leading receiver for every of the past three seasons modified his representation in May last yr, and either side have expressed interest in continuing to work together. In the case of how much a Flowers extension will cost, there’s been some media dissonance on where the ultimate figures will/should find yourself.
The Ravens haven’t the most effective luck of their history of drafting wide receivers in the primary round. From Travis Taylor to Mark Clayton to Breshad Perriman, Baltimore has seen its justifiable share of disappointment. Eric DeCosta has done higher since taking on as general manager in 2019, taking Marquise Brown in his first draft and Rashod Bateman two years later. But Flowers has seen more success than every previous top pick in Baltimore.
Since being drafted in 2023, Flowers has led the Ravens in receptions and receiving yards each season. His most up-to-date season totals of 86 receptions and 1,211 receiving yards rank fourth and second for the franchise all-time — tight end Mark Andrews leads each categories along with his 2021 contributions of 107 receptions and 1,361 receiving yards. Where Flowers has fallen short as a weapon for the offense is within the red zone, and falling “short” may offer a clue as to why there may be some debate over how much he could also be value.
In his three seasons of play, Flowers has totaled five receiving touchdowns (2023), 4 receiving touchdowns (2024), and five receiving touchdowns (2025). His 2025 total tied for the team lead in a down yr for Baltimore’s passing attack, but Flowers hasn’t sniffed double digits. Flowers is capable of consistently get open; he could make defenders miss when he has the ball in his hands, and he’s an honest deep goal for quarterback Lamar Jackson once in a while. But when the Ravens find the red zone, greater targets like Andrews, Bateman, and Isaiah Likely are inclined to reap the rewards.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley recently speculated in regards to the odds of Flowers getting an extension before the beginning of the season. The team picked up his fifth-year option, which implies he’ll be due a completely guaranteed $27.3MM in 2027 if a deal doesn’t get done. Working from there, Hensley speculates that an extension for Flowers could reach a median of $35MM per yr. Currently, only 4 players make more on an annual basis than that: Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($42.15MM), Ja’Marr Chase ($40.25), Drake London ($35.26), and Justin Jefferson ($35MM).
SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora saw “anything greater than $30MM” per yr as an overpay for Flowers, and he quoted quite a few anonymous NFL executives that appeared to feel the identical with one executive claiming that “his lack of size is an enormous deal…a separator.” Up to now, at 5-foot-9, Flowers can be an anomaly among the many top-paid players at his position. When happening the list of the highest-paid wide receivers within the NFL, one under six feet tall doesn’t appear until Jaylen Waddle at 5-foot-10, whose annual average ranks 14th within the league at $28.25MM per yr. The subsequent one shorter than six feet is Wan’Dale Robinson at 5-foot-8, who ranks twenty eighth at $17.5MM per yr.
Now Robinson’s stats don’t nearly reach what Flowers is doing, but Flowers’ numbers are fairly comparable to Waddle’s, granted Flowers has outperformed Waddle up to now two seasons. That seems to lend some credibility to $30MM as a cutoff, but Baltimore isn’t likely going to point to Flowers’ size in contract negotiations. Besides, height has been disregarded as a limiting factor before; each Antonio Brown and Tyreek Hill signed contracts that made them the highest-paid receivers within the NFL sooner or later of their careers.
It’s just going to return all the way down to how much the Ravens value Flowers. DeCosta has praised the 25-year-old as a longtime leader of the team, and his performances in each of the past two seasons have resulted in Pro Bowl nods. Baltimore may overlook some the constraints that outside franchises might impose in negotiations. He’ll almost actually receives a commission greater than what Waddle is making on his current deal, but does he should be within the upper echelon of wide receiver salaries among the many top players within the league? That shall be for the Ravens to make a decision as negotiations proceed.