Zay Flowers' Fifth-Year Option Will Cost Ravens Pretty Penny

Jan 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (4) makes a touchdown catch against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Zay Flowers' Fifth-Year Option Will Cost Ravens Pretty Penny

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Anthony Miller | Last updated Feb 28, 2026 10:00 AM ET

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The Baltimore Ravens hit a massive home run in the 2023 NFL Draft when they took wide receiver Zay Flowers in the first round.

Flowers has gone on to make two Pro Bowls in three years and has quickly become Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson's favorite target in the passing game. Everyone knew entering this offseason that Flowers was able to get a nice payday going into the 2027 season, but the amount has finally been revealed.

Spotrac shared the fifth-year options on all players that were selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Flowers has the largest fifth-year option among all the players from that draft class, as the Ravens are looking at potentially paying him $27.3 million in 2027.

Zay Flowers might land massive fifth-year option with Ravens

To put into context where Flowers' $27.3 million 2027 salary would stand should the Ravens pick it up, that would put him at 13th in the NFL among wide receivers. In hindsight, while that amount sounds like a lot of money, the Ravens at least won't have to pay top 10 money, but they won't be for long.

Baltimore is going to have some interesting decisions on what to do about Flowers with his contract situation this offseason. The Ravens must do something because his talent is too good to let go after he hit a career-high 1,211 yards and five touchdowns last season.

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

One option for the Ravens is to just pick up the fifth-year option, locking him in for the 2027 season. They could use the rest of the offseason or the next offseason to negotiate a new long-term extension for him so he is good to go for the future in Baltimore.

Another option is to just give him a long-term contract extension right away. Spotrac lists his market value at $31 million, so that cap hit would be massive this offseason, especially when they are trying to get new deals done for Jackson and the pending free-agent center Tyler Linderbaum.

The most likely scenario is that the Ravens don't pick up the fifth-year option, making the 2026 season the final one for Flowers before he becomes a free agent in 2027. That would leave a sour taste in everyone's mouths and most likely result in a trade to move Flowers out of Baltimore, but again, this is a very likely scenario for the Ravens.

No matter what happens, the Ravens are going to make Flowers a very rich man starting in 2027. Baltimore knows its value with DeAndre Hopkins now in free agency and Rashod Bateman's regression.

Flowers is one of the most important players on the roster, and not taking care of him will ruffle feathers. Expect the Ravens to be ready to play Flowers the money he deserves.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Ravens on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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