Ravens' Flowers blames Harbaugh's practices for injuries

Baltimore Ravens receiver Zay Flowers is looking forward to a different approach in practice, sharing that new head coach Jesse Minter has promised a less grueling program than the one the star wideout experienced under former coach John Harbaugh.

"Full pads all the time," Flowers told Jarvis Landry and Leonard Fournette on the "4th and South" podcast. "However many practices in pads you can get, every single one. We're doing one-on-ones in Week 17. ... Everybody out there, we're tired, we're still going."

"Low-key, that's why we had a lot of injuries," Flowers added. "Because of how we practiced, how we went. The load was heavy."

The Ravens endured a rash of injuries in the final year of Harbaugh's tenure, with several key players like Lamar Jackson, Roquan Smith, and Nnamdi Madubuike missing time.

Baltimore dismissed Harbaugh on Jan. 6 after 18 seasons at the helm. The Ravens subsequently hired Minter, who served as the Los Angeles Chargers' defensive coordinator from 2024-25 and worked as an assistant on Harbaugh's staff from 2017-20.

Flowers said he sought reassurance from Minter in their first conversation that he would dial back the intensity of practices.

"Yeah, I talked to the new coach," Flowers said. "He worked with Harbaugh in 2017, so he knows how it was, how we worked with Harbaugh. So he says, 'You're going to get your work, 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 talk I had with him: How's practice going to look?"

Flowers has thrived through three seasons in Baltimore, notching back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns. The two-time Pro Bowler led the Ravens with 86 receptions for 1,211 yards and five touchdowns in 2025.

The New York Giants hired Harbaugh shortly after his unceremonious exit from Baltimore. The 63-year-old coach poached several former Ravens to join his new team, with Isaiah Likely and Patrick Ricard signing with the Giants in the offseason.