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Baltimore Ravens star wide receiver Zay Flowers is looking forward to practice without John Harbaugh.
Flowers, 25, played under Harbaugh for three seasons and said his former coach put the Ravens through tough drills as the veteran coach ran as many contact drills as allowed by NFL rules. The wide receiver even attributed the Ravens’ injuries to the tough practices.
“Full pillows all the time,” Flowers said during a recent appearance on the 4th and South podcast. “As many practices in pads as you can get, every single one. We’re doing one-on-ones in Week 17. Week 17, we’re doing one-on-ones, 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 January 4, 2026. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
“That’s why we had a lot of injuries,” Flowers said. “Because of how we practiced, how we walked. The burden was heavy.”
Flowers was asked how the players handled the heavier workload. “We don’t,” he replied.
The two-time Pro Bowler cited how many yards he ran in practice as a testament to what Harbaugh’s practices were like.
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Head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens walks onto the field before an NFL football game against the New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium. The game took place in Baltimore, Maryland on December 21, 2025. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
“(In) the first two games last year, bro, I (ran) 10,000 yards (each),” Flowers said. “I ran for 20,000 yards in two games and still ran for 4,000, 5,000, 4,000 (yards), in practice that week.”
New Ravens head coach Jesse Minter coached under Harbaugh for four seasons, and Flowers was worried about how practices would be run. The former Boston College star said the first thing he asked Minter was how the drills would be run.
“Yeah, 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 get your work, but it’s going to be a little easier on your body. You get 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 during the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on January 4, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
While practices may have been tough 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 serve as a warning about what New York Giants players should expect from Harbaugh in his first year.
