Baltimore Ravens’ Zai Flowers Reflects on Tough Practices Under Harbaugh
Zai Flowers, the wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens, has shared his thoughts on the intense practices he endured while playing under coach John Harbaugh. Flowers, who is 25 years old, mentioned that Harbaugh pushed the team hard, maximizing contact drills to the extent allowed by NFL regulations. He even suggested that the injuries the team faced could be linked to the rigorous nature of these practices.
“I always had full pads on,” Flowers stated during a recent appearance on the Fourth and South Podcast. “We practiced in pads a lot, and even in Week 17, it was all about those 1-on-1 drills. No one felt great, but we pushed through.” He pointed out that the high intensity of the practices contributed to numerous injuries.
“That’s why we had so many injuries,” Flowers elaborated. “It was a heavy workload.” When asked about how players adapted to this challenging environment, he simply replied, “Not at all.”
Flowers also reflected on the sheer volume of yards he covered during practices, comparing it to the distances run in games. “In the first two games last year, I covered 10,000 yards each,” he said. “Overall, I still had to run 4,000, 5,000 yards in practice that week.” This highlights the relentless pace during training sessions.
Now under new head coach Jesse Minter, who worked alongside Harbaugh for four seasons, Flowers was curious about the change in practice dynamics. During their initial conversation, Minter assured Flowers that while the work would continue, it might be adjusted to better suit player well-being. “He said, ‘You’re going to work, but your body is going to be a little bit easier,'” said Flowers, noting his desire to understand how practices would change.
Despite the tough conditions, Flowers had a successful season, being the team’s leading receiver with 86 receptions for 1,211 yards and five touchdowns across 17 games. His comments about Harbaugh’s demanding style might serve as a heads-up for players with the New York Giants as they enter a new chapter.
