Who Should I Start? Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Zay Flowers

Wednesday, March 25, 10:00 AM

The Baltimore Ravens are making a contract extension for wide receiver Zay Flowers a top priority this offseason, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Flowers has made two Pro Bowls in three years, something no other homegrown Ravens receiver has done, and he's also gone over 1,000 receiving yards twice. His 3,128 receiving yards since 2023 rank 10th-most among NFL receivers during that span, and his 237 catches rank 13th. It's a pretty impressive feat, considering the team's run-first offensive philosophy. The 25-year-old pass-catcher may not be a prototypical No. 1 NFL wideout, but the Ravens love that he's a legitimate playmaker, a major threat with the ball in his hands, and that he's hard to cover by cornerbacks. In addition to Flowers' skills on the field, he's been durable, missing just one game in three seasons. He's also a close friend of quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Ravens fully intend to keep him after he signed a four-year, $14.04 million contract back in June of 2023. The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec writes that the Ravens would like to reach a deal "sooner rather than later." They have until May 1 to pick up his fifth-year option and keep him under contract through at least 2027, but that's viewed as a formality.