Overview
- Baltimore exercised the fifth-year option on wide receiver Zay Flowers on Thursday, keeping him under team control through the 2027 season.
- The option sets his 2027 pay at about $27.3–$28 million because two Pro Bowl selections pushed him into the highest option tier.
- Flowers has produced back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and two Pro Bowls, including a franchise-record 1,211 receiving yards in 2025.
- The move opens a window for a multi-year extension this summer as prices rise for top receivers after Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s four-year, $168.6 million contract.
- Baltimore must plan for tighter 2027 cap space — one projection has the team $13.4 million over before adding Flowers’ option — which could influence draft priorities, free agency, and restructures.