The Baltimore Ravens downgraded wide receiver Zay Flowers to out Saturday for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints, Jamison Hensley of ESPN reported.
Flowers aggravated his left hamstring in last Sunday’s 41-23 season-opening win at Indianapolis. Before leaving, he had 150 receiving yards and a touchdown in the first half.
He did not practice Wednesday or Thursday. He was limited Friday, when the Ravens listed him as doubtful, then ruled him out a day later.
The hamstring bothered him earlier this summer, too. Flowers missed two weeks of training camp with a hamstring issue.
Sunday will be only the fourth game he has missed in four NFL seasons. It will also be his first absence since the 2024 AFC divisional round game at Buffalo.
His role in the offense is not close. Over his past 18 games, Flowers has 91 catches for 1,361 yards. Baltimore’s other wide receivers combined for 55 catches and 814 yards in that stretch.
The receiver room was already thin. Ja’Kobi Lane (wrist) is on injured reserve, so Baltimore is without two of its top three wideouts.
Rashod Bateman is now the receiver with the most history with quarterback Lamar Jackson. LaJohntay Wester, Devontez Walker, Elijah Sarratt and Chris Moore are the other healthy options.
First-year coach Jesse Minter had a message for that group earlier in the week.
“I think the first game was a great example that the ball can really go anywhere in our offense,” Minter said. “Just being very precise, being very detailed, being in the right spot, the ball can find you. Playing fast and playing with confidence, we have a lot of confidence in all those guys.”
The Ravens do have other weapons. They piled up 506 yards in the opener and led the NFL with 19 plays of at least 10 yards. Derrick Henry ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns, and he needs 98 more to pass Eric Dickerson for ninth on the league’s career rushing list.
Sunday is Baltimore’s home opener, with kickoff at 1 p.m. ET at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens went 3-6 at home in 2025, the worst home record in franchise history.
New Orleans brings a dangerous receiver of its own. Chris Olave, questionable with a hamstring injury but expected to play, caught 10 passes for a career-high 182 yards in Week 1.
Minter has kept Flowers day to day and has said he wants to protect the receiver’s long-term health so the hamstring does not become a lingering problem.
