Zay Flowers has made plays since joining the Ravens, and now he has made history.
In only his second season, Flowers has become the first Ravens wide receiver to be named a Pro Bowler at the position.
The Ravens have had three wide receivers who made the Pro Bowl as returners – Jermaine Lewis (1998, 2001), Jacoby Jones (2012), and Devin Duvernay (2021, '22). They've had three key wide receivers who have been Pro Bowlers for other teams: Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith Sr., and Derrick Mason.
However, Flowers has broken through as the first wideout drafted by Baltimore to be named a Pro Bowler with 73 catches, 1,047 yards and four touchdowns heading into Saturday's regular-season finale against the Cleveland Browns.
Flowers is also the first player in Ravens history to record a 1,000-yard receiving season within the first two years of his career and the fastest player in franchise history to reach 100 career receptions (21 games).
Flowers shared an emotional moment with General Manager Eric DeCosta after being told the news.
"From since I was a little kid, that was a dream," Flowers said, before hugging DeCosta. "We gotta get that ring, now."
Flowers will forever hold a prominent place in team history, but individual glory is not what drives him.
"I have personal goals, but winning is more important to me," Flowers said. "Like when I got 1,000 yards. As I got closer to it, people were bringing it to my attention, so I said, 'Ok, let's go get it.' But it wasn't the main thing. I wanted to help us win."
During the summer prior to his rookie season, Flowers quickly went to work building chemistry with Lamar Jackson by joining him in South Florida for offseason workouts.
That helped build the foundation for Flowers' successful rookie season in 2023, when he set the franchise rookie record for receiving yards (858) with 77 catches and five touchdowns.
The franchise rookie record was previously held by Torrey Smith, who had 841 yards in 2011. When told that Flowers had made the Pro Bowl, Smith was delighted.
"I think Zay's done a great job of just being himself, letting his natural ability take over," Smith said. "And he's just getting started, being with Lamar in the style of offense that they play now.
"You hear the talk about the Ravens' history of wide receivers after you get drafted. I never paid much attention to it. I can only speak for myself, but the offense I played in, you knew you weren't going to get 10 targets a game. It was bully ball, and going further back in the franchise's history, it was the same. We established the run and took it from there. But the offense Zay's playing in now, they can do everything, run it, throw it, and he's taking advantage of it. He's a talent and what he's doing speaks for itself."
From the moment he was drafted as the 22nd overall pick in 2023, Flowers has carried himself like a wide receiver No. 1. It's not bravado or cockiness. It's a belief in his ability and work ethic, a confidence that was natured growing up in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. in a strong and unique family. Flowers is the 11th of 14 children, and the family has endured triumphs and tragedies by sticking together.
Flowers has always been a tenacious player, starting from his days playing Pee Wee football in South Florida. He doesn't believe any cornerback can defend him one-on-one and uses his speed and shiftiness to get open and make electrifying runs after the catch.
Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor admires the energy that Flowers brings to every practice and game, an approach that is part of his success.
"One thing he has that you can't coach is his competitiveness," Agholor said. "He competes and he fights. When he makes a catch, he doesn't just want the catch. He wants it all. He's trying to embarrass you, make you miss, and he's trying to take it to the house."
Flowers says the biggest difference from last year is his familiarity with Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken's system.
"Just more experience, more understanding of the offense, and more awareness of how people were trying to stop me," Flowers said. "I just want to keep improving every year. That's a goal for me, to get better at something, whatever they say I can't do."
What do people think Flowers can't do?
"I don't know," Flowers said smiling. "But I'll find out through the internet. It's not about proving people wrong. I just like proving myself right."
The biggest thing left on Flowers' to-do list is easy to guess – winning a Super Bowl. He reached the AFC Championship game as a rookie and firmly believes that this year's team can go the distance.
"We just want to play our game and do what we do," Flowers said. "We don't want to get too big-headed or listen to the outside noise. We just want to play our brand of ball.
"We have a chance to do everything we want to do. For me, as a wide receiver, I couldn't ask to be in a better situation than Baltimore."
