The Baltimore Ravens are gearing up for a pivotal season in 2025. After coming close to the Super Bowl the last few seasons, the Ravens are trying to do whatever it takes to help get them over the hump. One player doing something new this season is Ravens Pro Bowl wide receiver Zay Flowers.
Flowers went on “The Lounge” podcast recently and talked about how he is coming into this season heavier than he’s ever been in his life, and it’s not just from gorging on pizza and burgers. Over the offseason, Flowers added 10 lbs of muscle. After injuring his knee and missing the playoffs, Flowers started working with a different strength coach for his rehab.
The theme of this Ravens season is that they are bigger, stronger, and faster than the year before, aiming to achieve the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl, and Flowers is no exception.
Adding More Protection
Zay Flowers missing another playoff run is something he doesn’t want to happen again, and he’s building his body up to make that reality. Ryan Mink of Ravens.com transcribed Flowers’ “The Lounge” interview, and Flowers discussed protecting himself more.
“I told him I wanted to gain [weight] a little bit to protect myself a little bit more because I’m going to be running straight this year,” Flowers said. “I’m going to be running straight at them, so I had to put on some muscle.”
Flowers has shown the ability to break tackles even with his 5’9 frame, such as last year against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16 when he hauled in a pass from Lamar Jackson and broke several tackles on his way to a 49-yard gain.
The added protection Flowers feels will only enhance his strengths, such as being elusive and hard to bring down, but the extra muscle will give Flowers more protection when he delivers punishment.
“I think that’s one of my best things about myself, breaking tackles and making people miss,” Flowers said. “I think it’s for more protection. If I’m running straight or dropping my shoulder, I can do that to get a first down or whatever I need.”
Flowers’ renewed focus on training this offseason is just part of his development in becoming a better professional in the NFL.
Becoming More of a Pro
Over his first two seasons, Zay Flowers has been very successful, earning a Pro Bowl nod last season. However, this offseason, Flowers has taken his training up a notch in pursuit of becoming an even better player.
On “The Lounge” podcast, Flowers talked about his intense offseason preparation, which included 5:30 a.m. workouts and running hills.
“I love routines, so once I got into a routine and once I learned actually how to do it and how to move around and be professional, it was way easier for me,” Flowers said. “That’s why this offseason I was able to gain my weight. I was able to throw more, run more, learn more. I was able to do a lot more stuff just by keeping a stricter schedule and getting ready for the season.”
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has high expectations for Flowers due to how hard he works, as he told ESPN’s Jamison Hensley after the team’s July 28 training camp practice, as transcribed by Ravens.com.
“I‘m looking for [Zay Flowers] to be the best. [I want him to] go out there and just make explosive play after explosive play,” Harbaugh said. “But really, [I want to see him] 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.”
If the Ravens reach their goals this season, Flowers will be a significant reason why, and his offseason preparation has positioned him to take the next step in his career.
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