OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- On the final day of the Baltimore Ravens' minicamp, quarterback Lamar Jackson didn't get one question about his contract situation. Jackson, though, was asked about the possible contract extension involving one of his closest friends.
Pro Bowl wide receiver Zay Flowers is in line for a new deal at a time when contracts are escalating at his position. If Baltimore wants to keep him long term, the Ravens and Flowers need to agree on a contract after an offseason when Jaxon Smith-Njigba reset the market for wide receivers and Drake London became the third-highest paid wideout.
Jackson looked puzzled when asked Flowers' value to the team.
"We love Zay. We need Zay," Jackson said. "His value is out of this world. That's what I'd say."
Flowers, who will turn 26 in September, carried Baltimore's passing attack last season. His 1,211 yards receiving accounted for 36.9% of the Ravens' total receiving yards, which was the second-highest share by any player in 2025 behind Smith-Njigba (44.1%).
The knock on Flowers is he doesn't look like the prototypical top target in the league at 5-foot-9, 183 pounds. It's one of the reasons why he was available as the No. 22 pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
Jackson threw his hand up and let out a sigh in disgust when a reporter mentioned the debate about whether Flowers is a true No. 1 wide receiver.
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"Zay Flowers is a 1,000-yard receiver [in the] NFL for a reason," he said. "I'm going to leave it at that."
The Ravens picked up Flowers' fifth-year option on April 23, which will pay him $27.298 million in 2027. This is a bargain in the current wide receiver landscape.
On March 23, Smith-Njigba became the NFL's highest-paid wide receiver at $42.15 million per year when he signed a four-year, $168.8 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks. On June 2, London cracked the top five at $35.26 million per year when he reached a four-year, $141.054 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
After exercising Flowers' option, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta called Flowers a leader who has a great work ethic.
"The goal would be to get a long-term deal with him if we can. And I fully expect we will," DeCosta said. "He's got a great agent, and he's a great person. I know he wants to be here."