Ravens’ Zay Flowers says knee great after sitting playoffs

OWINGS MILL, Md. — Pro Bowl wide receiver Zay Flowers said Tuesday he has fully recovered from a right knee injury that sidelined him for both of the Baltimore Ravens’ playoff games last season.

“My knee is great,” Flowers said at the start of the Ravens’ second week of organized team activities. “I feel 100%. I feel like I’m ready for the season. No limits.”

Last season, Flowers became the the first player in Ravens history to reach the Pro Bowl as a wide receiver. He was Lamar Jackson’s top target, leading Baltimore with 74 receptions and 1,059 receiving yards.

But Flowers didn’t play in the Ravens’ postseason after injuring his right knee during Baltimore’s regular-season finale on Jan. 4 against the Cleveland Browns. It marked the first time that he missed consecutive games.

Editor’s Picks

2 Related

Flowers said it was “super tough” to sit out the 27-25 divisional-round loss at the Buffalo Bills.

“When you play 17 games just to get to the first playoff game and you can’t play in it, it’s always hard,” Flowers said. “Missing a playoff game is different. At least we get to play [the Bills] in our first game this year.”

Flowers didn’t need surgery to recover from the right knee injury. He was able to get back with rehab.

A first-round pick in 2023, Flowers is now looking to become the first Ravens player to produce consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons since Derrick Mason put together three straight from 2007 to 2009.

“We just have to get him the ball more,” Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. “He’s an unbelievable football player. He’s not only an outside receiver that has elite route-running skills. But he’s unbelievable with the ball in his hands. So you have a guy that fits two positions and plays two spots.”

In addition to offseason practices in Baltimore, Flowers has been catching passes from Jackson during their private workouts in Florida.

“It just gets our timing down,” Flowers said. “Like if we’re running routes, he’ll say: ‘Run it this way’ or ‘I like how you ran it this way.’ It’s really about talking a lot and detailing the small things that he wants to get down.”

Flowers, though, has no interest in representing the United States in the Olympics for flag football. NFL owners have approved a proposal for players to participate in flag football at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“I play real football,” he said. “I ain’t really worried about going to the Olympics. I’m trying to win a Super Bowl.”