Ravens, wide receiver Zay Flowers agree to contract extension

Zay Flowers has already done something no drafted Baltimore Ravens wide receiver had ever done, and the organization just made sure he’ll remain with the team for the foreseeable future.

The Ravens and Flowers reached an agreement on a contract extension, Baltimore’s latest move to reward one of its core players, the team announced Tuesday. The 25-year-old is preparing for his fourth NFL season, and a decision on his fifth-year option was due May 1. Both sides, though, had prioritized a contract extension this offseason.

The Ravens and WR Zay Flowers have agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $140 million, source tells @TheAthletic. The deal includes $108M guaranteed after he put together a second straight Pro Bowl season. ESPN first to report. pic.twitter.com/xi1GvgiPZq

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) August 4, 2026

The deal makes Flowers the second-highest paid Raven in team history, behind only quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Flowers, a first-round pick in 2023, has made the Pro Bowl twice in three seasons. When he was selected to his first Pro Bowl in 2024, he became the first homegrown Raven wide receiver to earn that distinction.

Flowers, the Ravens’ No. 1 receiver, has 237 catches for 3,128 yards and 16 touchdowns in his first 50 regular-season games. Since entering the NFL, he ranks 10th among wide receivers in yards and 13th in catches. He’s done it despite being in an offense that leans heavily on the run game and features multiple tight ends in its passing attack.

The former Boston College standout is already fifth in team history in receiving yards and receptions in just three seasons. He’s only one of nine Ravens in franchise history to post a 1,000-yard season, and he’s done it twice. His 1,211 receiving yards last year are the most by a wide receiver in a single season in franchise history.

There’s been plenty of debate outside the Ravens facility about whether Flowers is a legitimate No. 1 receiver. At 5-foot-9, 183 pounds, Flowers has not been a huge red zone threat, and the Ravens’ deep passing game has been spotty in recent years. He’s also had some high-profile ball-security issues.

However, Flowers has been extremely productive, averaging 13.2 yards per reception. He’s been durable. having played all but one regular-season game in three years. He’s considered one of the hardest workers on the team, and he has a strong rapport and friendship with Jackson, who backed the Ravens’ drafting of Flowers in 2023.

Flowers has provided a long-awaited counterargument to the Ravens’ long-standing troubles drafting and developing wide receivers.

The extension continues general manager Eric DeCosta’s efforts to lock in as many key Ravens as possible. Over the past year-plus, the Ravens have signed extensions with a litany of key players, including running back Derrick Henry, wide receiver Rashod Bateman, tight end Mark Andrews, left tackle Ronnie Stanley, nose tackle Travis Jones and safety Kyle Hamilton.

There was a sense of urgency with Flowers because of the rising prices in the wide receiver market. Smith-Njigba recently became the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver by agreeing to a four-year, $168.6 million pact with the Seahawks. Overall, 19 wide receivers are making $25 million per year and another five are over the $20 million per year plateau. Flowers now joins that group.