Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers went down in the second quarter of the team’s Week 18 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Here’s the latest injury update on the Ravens’ Pro Bowl wideout.
What Happened to Zay Flowers?
Flowers went down clutching his right knee on a 12-yard reception with 12:16 left in the second quarter. While it was a frightening image for Ravens fans, he was able to walk off the field under his own power.
Zay Flowers is in the medical tent after hurting his knee on this play.pic.twitter.com/rfvc230nIG
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) January 4, 2025
However, he still went to the medical tent and then went to the locker room for further examination.
After initially being ruled questionable to return, Flowers was eventually ruled out at the start of the second half.
Ravens say that WR Zay Flowers is done for the day with a knee injury.
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) January 4, 2025
With Baltimore playing next week in the Wild Card Round, it’s possible the team was being cautious with its best wide receiver against an overmatched Browns team. The Ravens cruised to a 35-10 win without Flowers, clinching the AFC North in the process.
However, John Harbaugh was more measured in his postgame assessment. The Ravens head coach noted that Flowers would get an MRI on Sunday and seemingly left his playoff availability up in the air without ruling him out.
Harbaugh said Zay Flowers will have an MRI tomorrow. He didn’t have update but says that Flowers has a “chance” to be ready for playoffs.
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) January 5, 2025
Later, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that Flowers was dealing with a knee strain that could keep him out of the Wild Card round. However, should Baltimore advance past that, it appears Flowers could return for the Divisional Round and beyond.
#Ravens Pro Bowl WR Zay Flowers, ruled out with a knee injury, is believed to have suffered a sprain, sources say, pending the MRI.
It’s not considered a major injury, though there is a real chance he misses next week. If Baltimore takes care of business, he could be back. pic.twitter.com/nRmcETx0IB
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 5, 2025
Flowers became the first wide receiver in Ravens history to reach the Pro Bowl this season. Baltimore’s WR1 had one catch for 12 yards and one rush for nine yards before his day came to an early end.
Potential Fantasy Impact if Flowers Is Injured
Flowers has produced at least 5% over expectations in both of his NFL seasons; with two years left on his rookie deal, the Ravens have a nice value in filling their WR1 role and figure to continue to bank on his development. His aDOT was up 23.9% this season from last, showcasing the type of improved versatility that we love to see in a young receiver.
Flowers (Baltimore’s first Pro Bowl WR in franchise history), assuming no long-term damage, is a solid WR2 next season. As for fantasy football playoff leagues, a Flowers absence would increase the value of not only Rashod Bateman (who got banged up earlier in the game as well) but the entire WR pool, one that is shallow to begin with.
Players getting the largest bump in these sorts of formats would be Hollywood Brown, Jameson Williams, and Khalil Shakir … receivers on teams with high expectations and a path to consistent work.