Ravens Star Isn’t Satisfied

Baltimore Ravens star wide receiver Zay Flowers has gotten better each year of his NFL career, and now he wants to add another part to his game.

Flowers has the production on the field, coming off the first 1,000-yard season of his NFL career, but now he wants to make an impact as a leader, too.

"I really want to build off that because every year since I've been here, I had a vet and the vet kind of took the leadership role and I've been learning from them. So I just want to take a step towards that," Flowers said. "I'm learning from D-Hop still. I'm learning from Bate, too. I'm still just taking that step as a leader."

Both DeAndre Hopkins, 33, and Rashod Bateman, 25, are older than the 24-year-old Flowers. However, Flowers has led the team in targets, catches and receiving yards the last two years, and that is likely to continue in 2025.

"I'm looking for him to be the best," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. "Go out there and just make explosive play after explosive play. Really, just take a deep breath, keep it simple and just try to do your job one play at a time because when you work as hard as he does and you have the talent that he has, good things are going to happen, if you keep it simple, which I think he does a great job of."

Flowers' coaches aren't the only ones who are expecting big things out of him this season. Bateman also thinks Flowers has a good chance to etch himself into the history books.

"What he's doing in the league is beyond special to me because of how we play football, of how the Ravens play football," Bateman said on the team's The Lounge podcast. "It's not like we're just targeting Zay, put him on this. We do what's best for the team and how we play. Zay could have 1,300 yards, easily, if that was the goal."

Only time will tell if Flowers can reach those lofty expectations, but he seems ready to grow his impact on the field and as a leader this season.