
The Baltimore Ravens are just days away from their Week 1 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, but a key question mark remains surrounding number one wide receiver Zay Flowers.
Flowers has nursed a quad injury since suffering a bruise early on in training camp. The nagging quad has been enough to sideline him for several practices, most recently on Aug. 31, and put his availability for the start of the season in jeopardy.
But after logging a full practice on Tuesday and working off to the side with a trainer on Wednesday, it seems all signs are pointing toward Flowers being ready for Sunday. When speaking with the media after practice Wednesday, the 25-year-old wideout expressed extreme confidence about his availability.
“I’m ready to play football,” Flowers told Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. “I feel great, better than ever.”
Zay Flowers: “I’m ready to play football. I feel great, better than ever.”
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) September 9, 2026
Flowers continued by saying he and his Ravens group are “excited” about the opportunity to see how things look this weekend after a long buildup to the season.
After traveling to Indianapolis for Week 1, the Ravens will return home to Baltimore next Sunday to face the New Orleans Saints, followed by games against the Cowboys, Titans, Falcons, and Browns before hosting the Bengals in Week 7. Opening up their slate with a series of opponents that all finished below .500 a year ago, the Ravens hope to jump out to a strong start in what should be another competitive year in the AFC North.
Flowers will be an important piece of this puzzle, entering his fourth season as Lamar Jackson’s clear-cut No. 1 target. The Boston College product is coming off of back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and should see another increase in touches with the departure of Isaiah Likely and the ongoing investigation and potential suspension of Rashod Bateman.
A healthy Flowers will be essential for the Ravens to get off on the right foot, and it appears that is just what they will have as they kick off at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.
More must-reads:
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!