Zay Flowers Blames John Harbaugh For Ravens Injuries Last Season

As successful as former Ravens head coach was in Baltimore, some of John Harbuagh's coaching habits won't be missed by former players.

Harbaugh was fired from his head coach position in Baltimore following their dramatic and heartbreaking loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the last game of the regular season. The loss was the final nail in Baltimore's postseason hopes as they finished with just eight wins and nine regular season losses. Rookie field goal kicker Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter and the Steelers moved into the postseason instead of Baltimore.

While the Ravens injury report going into their week 18 matchup against Pittsburgh wasn't a colossal list of names, it doesn't mean Ravens players weren't battling pain and physical discomfort late in the season. Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers joined the Fourth And South Podcast with former Miami Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette.

Harbaugh's practices were tough

Zay Flowers has been one of the more durable Ravens since his arrival in 2023. He's played 50 regular season games in just three seasons and it turns out he was able to do it under difficult circumstances.

#Ravens WR Zay Flowers says under John Harbaugh they were always in full pads, doing 1-on-1s late in the season, and “it’s why we had a lot of injuries.”

Flowers says new HC Jesse Minter has assured him, “it’s going to be a little easier on your body.”

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— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 17, 2026

"However many practices in pads you can get, every single one. We was doing one-on-ones in week 17. Yeah, week 17 we was doing one-on-ones, we're tired. Lowkey, that's why we had a lot of injuries. Cause of how we practiced and how we went. Yeah, the load was heavy."
Ravens WR Zay Flowers

New head coach Jesse Minter worked under new New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh in 2017 with the Ravens. Minter was the defensive coordinator for Jim Harbaugh's Los Angeles Chargers last season. Flowers discussed having a conversation with Minter already about what he should expect out of practices this season.

Flowers and Minter's first discussion was about workload

Flowers seems ready to play for Minter and his regime. In one of his first conversations with the new head coach, Flowers was relieved to hear that the workload throughout the season wouldn't be as heavy as it was with Harbaugh as head coach.

"I talked to the new coach. He worked with [John] Harbaugh in 2017, so he know how it was. He know how we worked with Harbaugh. So he like, 'you gon' get your work, but like it's gon be a little bit easier on your body, you gon be fresher for the game'. So that was the first talk I had with him."
Zay Flowers

Notable players like linebacker Roquon Smith and superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson missed at least three weeks this season. Rookie linebacker Teddye Buchanon was enjoying a stellar rookie season before tearing the ACL in his knee late in the regular season. Linebacker Tavius Robinson and defensive tackle Broderick Washington Jr. were both designated to the Injured Reserve list at some point during the season.

Minter looks to keep his players focused on winning games while keeping them healthier and more durable throughout the season when it matters most.

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