The Baltimore Ravens have secured their most productive wide receiver of the modern era for the long haul.
Two-time Pro Bowl wideout Zay Flowers reached agreement Tuesday on a four-year, $140 million contract extension that includes $108 million guaranteed, according to his agency and multiple reports. The deal carries an average annual value of $35 million, tying him with Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson for the fourth-highest average among NFL wide receivers.
The extension keeps Flowers in Baltimore through the 2031 season. The Ravens had already exercised his fifth-year option earlier this year, which would have controlled him through 2027. By adding four new years, the club removes any uncertainty surrounding its top receiving threat and pairs him with quarterback Lamar Jackson for the foreseeable future.
Flowers, the 22nd overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Boston College, has steadily risen into one of the league’s most reliable weapons. He has led the Ravens in both receptions and receiving yards in each of his first three seasons. Last year he set career highs with 86 catches for 1,211 yards and five touchdowns, establishing a new franchise single-season receiving yardage record for a wide receiver. His production has climbed every year, and he remains the only wide receiver in Ravens history to earn Pro Bowl honors — doing so in consecutive seasons.
General manager Eric DeCosta praised the receiver in a team statement, calling him “the type of player we always seek to retain — tough, competitive, durable, a premier talent and a foundational football player.” Flowers had made clear throughout the offseason that he wanted to remain in Baltimore, and the front office moved quickly to make it happen before the regular season.
The contract represents the largest financial commitment the Ravens have ever made to a wide receiver. It also positions Flowers as the second-highest paid player on the roster behind only Jackson. While the market for elite receivers continues to climb — led by Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba at more than $42 million per year — Baltimore’s deal places Flowers firmly among the position’s upper tier without resetting the top of the market.
For a franchise that has long prioritized building around Jackson’s dual-threat ability, retaining a dynamic, versatile receiver like Flowers carries obvious strategic value. The 25-year-old (he turns 26 next month) has shown the ability to win at all three levels of the field, create after the catch, and produce in critical moments. His consistency and durability have been standout traits in an offense that has leaned heavily on him.
With the extension complete, the Ravens head into the season with their top wideout locked in and a clearer picture of the salary-cap picture moving forward. Flowers’ deal removes one of the larger pending decisions on the roster and signals the organization’s belief that the young receiver still has significant growth ahead.
In a league where elite pass-catchers rarely stay with one team for long stretches, Baltimore has chosen to keep its own. For now, the Flowers era in purple and black is only beginning.
