Ravens WR Flowers Blames Harbaugh Practices for Injuries

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers attributed the team's injury struggles during the 2025 season to the intense practice regimen under former head coach John Harbaugh, who was fired at the end of the regular season after 19 years with the franchise. In an appearance on the "4th and South" podcast, Flowers described Harbaugh's approach as relentlessly physical, with full-pad sessions and one-on-one drills continuing even into Week 17, leaving players fatigued and prone to injuries.

The Ravens finished the 2025 campaign with an 8-9 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2021 after a Week 18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Key absences hampered their performance, including quarterback Lamar Jackson, who sat out four games due to hamstring and back issues, marking the third time in five years he had missed at least that many contests. Other starters, such as defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, tight end Isaiah Likely, and wide receiver Rashod Bateman, also lost multiple games to injuries, though the team ranked 12th in the NFL for fewest games missed overall.

Flowers, who played under Harbaugh for three seasons after being drafted in 2023, detailed the toll of...