Zay Flowers points the finger at former Ravens coach John Harbaugh's practices for the team's health issues. (0:40)
OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Wide receiver Zay Flowers believes the change at head coach will improve the Baltimore Ravens' health issues.
On an episode of the "4th and South" podcast that was released Thursday, Flowers claimed that the tough practices by former coach John Harbaugh led to more injuries, especially by the end of the season.
"Full pads all the time," Flowers said. "However many practices in pads you can get, every single one. We're doing one-on-ones in Week 17. Week 17, we're doing one-on-ones, everybody out there, we're tired, we're still going."
Asked how the players manage that workload, Flowers replied, "We don't."
"That's why we had a lot of injuries, because of how we practiced, how we went," he added. "The load was heavy."
Injuries significantly impacted the Ravens' 8-9 season in 2025, which was Harbaugh's 18th and final one in Baltimore. But the health problems occurred earlier in the season. In a 44-10 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 5, the Ravens were without seven Pro Bowl players, including quarterback Lamar Jackson (hamstring).
By the end of the season, the Ravens were relatively healthy. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) was the only starter on injured reserve, and backup defensive lineman Taven Bryan was the only player who received a designation on the injury report for the season finale at Pittsburgh.
After the season, the Ravens fired Harbaugh and replaced him with Jesse Minter, who was an assistant in Baltimore from 2017 to 2020. In his first conversation with Minter, Flowers asked how practices were going to look.
"[Minter] knows how we worked with Harbaugh," Flowers said. "So he's like, 'You're going to get your work, but it's going to be a little easier on your body. You're going to be fresher for the game.'"
Harbaugh, now head coach of the New York Giants, finished as the Ravens' winningest head coach with a 193-124 record (.609), including playoffs, as well as six AFC North titles, two No. 1 seeds, four trips to the AFC Championship Game and a Super Bowl title in 2012. Baltimore had only three losing seasons under Harbaugh (2015, '21, '25), and each one included his starting quarterback being sidelined at least four games.
Flowers acknowledged that the biggest lesson he learned from Harbaugh was how to get ready for games.
"How he prepared for games, he can get anybody prepared," Flowers said. "He's good at getting you ready to go play. Not just speeches, just the way we practiced. How he gets you prepared to go play and hit and do your job."
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