Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers spoke about the John Harbaugh era during an appearance on the “4th and South” podcast on Thursday. While the receiver gave credit to the coach for the team’s success, he also suggested that Harbaugh’s physically demanding practices may have contributed to the Ravens’ higher injury rate than the typical NFL team. The discussion picked up further on Arena Gridiron, where Flowers had to clarify what he really meant.

“Bro, I went and practiced hard every day. Harbaugh will tell you who practiced the hardest,” Flowers said. “Maybe I said it wrong. I was still successful, but I’ll be lying if I said I was always 100 percent fresh for games. But anyway, to say I’m pointing the finger at him for injuries is odd. I definitely do think being fresh would’ve helped. Everybody’s body is different. I played all 17.”

That’s not exactly a retraction. He had originally pointed towards constant, fully-padded practices and one-on-one drills all the way into the regular season finale. With this latest comment, he just took back the part about pointing fingers and kept all the other parts that had started this conversation. Meanwhile, Aqib Talib’s counterargument was his own career.

Talib played for five franchises from 2008 through 2019. He played under Bill Belichick for the New England Patriots’ dynasty years. He also played in Sean McVay’s system with the Los Angeles Rams for their Super Bowl 50 run. Both of those systems were different, just like all the teams he played for and against across his 12 career seasons.

McVay keeps things very light in his regime. Pads once a week, veterans getting days off on Wednesdays. Taiib even admitted he was fighting just to get reps. But Belichick, as documented by stars like Talib, Tom Brady, and Rob Gronkowski, had the opposite setup. There were no days off, Belichick left no room for excuses or underperformance, and the team was running drills in September as if it were already the playoffs. After talking about these two systems, Aquib turned to the Kansas City Chiefs and delivered his final verdict.

“Then you look at the Chiefs,” Aqib said. “They lived in the Super Bowl for three or four years straight. Head coach Andy Reid runs one of the toughest programs in the NFL. I guarantee you they will be full pads and one-on-ones. Big Red plays no games. He got a real old-school coaching style… Everybody does it different ways. So it’s not just one way to stay healthy, it’s not just one way to win the Super Bowl.”

As for Flowers, he had already contradicted himself by praising Harbaugh’s coaching style on the same 4th and Short podcast where he raised the injury concerns. And he’s happy where he is, too. In an interview in early April, he had made it clear that he wants to keep playing for the Ravens.

Baltimore had exercised the $27.29 million 5th-year option in his contract just this March, but his agents are negotiating a long-term deal before he hits free agency in 2027. When you take all of that into account, Flowers’ trying to do some damage control with this latest comment makes a lot of sense.

John Harbaugh’s training routines are no longer a part of Baltimore. Jesse Minter is the new head coach, and Flowers has already had a conversation about his health with Minter.

“[Minter knows how we worked with Harbaugh,” Flowers noted. “So, he’s like, ‘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.”

So Zay Flowers’ problems with Baltimore seem to have been solved. As for Minter, he is heading into an offseason that has major consequences for how the next chapter of quarterback Lamar Jackson’s career plays out.

What the Ravens need from the 2026 draft

Under the new leadership, Baltimore’s 2026 draft is being treated as a make-or-break moment for building a real supporting roster around Jackson.

Right now, Flowers is the only proven receiver on the roster. Last season, he hauled in 86 catches for 1,211 yards and 5 touchdowns, leading the team in receptions. No other receiver topped 22 catches (DeAndre Hopkins), and the tight end Mark Andrews came in second with 48 catches. When Flowers is covered or hurt, Baltimore’s passing game has very few places to go.

The offensive line also made things worse for Baltimore in 2025. They allowed consistent pressure that pushed Jackson into scramble modes on drives that shouldn’t have required it. As a result, Jackson got sacked 36 times (third highest in his career) in just 13 games.

The tight end room is also in need of a boost. Isaiah Likely left for the New York Giants this offseason, and the Ravens brought in David Njoku as a possible fix. But the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement. Now, Mark Andrews and Durham Smythe are the lone rangers in that room.

The biggest fix is needed in the porous offensive line. Jackson’s mobility overshadows the receiving corps in ways that absolutely require better protection heading into his 9th NFL season. Beyond them lie the depth additions in the WR and TE rooms, and here are some of the projected additions that could help Baltimore.

• Spencer Fano, OL, (Utah)—Athletic, versatile, and a dominant pass protector.
• Olaivavega, Ioane, G (Penn State) – Best guard in the class, has only allowed two sacks across 1,106 plays.
• Kenyon Shadiq, TE (Oregon) – Projected first-round pick for Baltimore, led all fellow tight ends last season in receiving touchdowns (8) and dropped passes (6).
• Jordan Tyson, WR (Arizona State) – logged 18 touchdowns across the past two seasons. Durability is a question, but his skill sets make him an ideal fit.

Even beyond these prospects, general manager Eric Decosta believes the draft will solve all their problems.

“The positions we need, we feel really strong that we can address in the draft,” DeCosta said recently.

Zay Flowers wants to remain a Raven with an easier training routine. The roster needs immediate fixing. If the draft goes right and Lamar Jackson gets all the right additions, those two variables could combine to send them to the playoffs once again