Baltimore Ravens WR Zay Flowers motivated after missing 2024 postseason

Baltimore Ravens' third-year wide receiver Zay Flowers is ready to play in some meaningful games after he was held out of last year's playoffs with a knee injury.

Flowers missed Baltimore's two postseason games after he hurt his right knee in the second quarter of the regular-season finale against Cleveland.

The former first-round draft pick out of Boston College said he is using that lost time to fuel his motivation through training camp and then into the season.

"It sucked to miss that time and miss the playoffs, because you work all season, then you get hurt [in the] last game," Flowers said. "It definitely motivated me to get back on the field, push my rehab, my therapy, and get back right to where I was, but I feel better than before." 

Flowers, who appears faster and more explosive than last season, credits that to the way he rehabbed and worked this offseason. 

"You just work," Flowers said. "I was running hills. I trained with my trainer on specific stuff that I wanted to get done, and we got it done. I felt like I got faster. I got stronger. I felt better than I did before I got hurt." 

Flowers made his first Pro Bowl in 2024 after he caught 116 passes for 1,059 yards.

Flowers playoff experience

In two prior years, Flowers has played in two postseason games, all in his 2023 rookie season.

That year, the Ravens made it to the AFC Championship game before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Flowers had five catches for 115 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs, but he had a costly personal foul penalty and fumble at the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter.

Notable practice absences

The Ravens held their first training camp practice with pads on Monday in Owings Mills.

There were a couple of absences, most notably cornerback Jaire Alexander and wide receiver Rashod Bateman. 

Head coach John Harbaugh said Alexander had his knee drained because of some swelling, but he should be back at practice on Tuesday.

Bateman was sent home because he was sick.

Linebacker Jake Hummel made his training camp debut on Monday. He missed all of last week with a hand injury.