BEYOND THE CATCH: WHY PICKING UP ZAY FLOWERS’ OPTION WAS THE RAVENS' EASIEST CHOICE
The Baltimore Ravens officially pick up Zay Flowers' fifth-year option as the Jesse Minter era begins under centre.
The Baltimore Ravens are stepping into a new chapter. After years with John Harbaugh at the helm, they’ve moved on and handed the reins to Jesse Minter, who ran the Chargers’ defence last season.
Harbaugh’s off to the New York Giants now, which leaves Minter in charge of finding a way to get the most out of a Ravens roster that’s still loaded with talent. The front office has work to do, plugging some holes and adding a few pieces, but the foundation’s already there.
One guy who’s become a big part of that is Zay Flowers. The Ravens grabbed him in the first round back in 2023, and he’s got better every season. With two straight Pro Bowl nods and a real connection with Lamar Jackson, he’s quickly turned into one of the top receivers in the league.
The Ravens aren’t letting him go anytime soon. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, they’re picking up Flowers’ fifth-year option. That means he’ll earn $27.3 million in 2027, after pulling in $2.7 million the year before. As for Rashod Bateman, he had a rough season, but the Ravens are giving him another shot, especially with Declan Doyle coming in as the new offensive coordinator.
Locking up Flowers just makes sense. He’s turned into one of their most dangerous weapons, and the numbers back it up: 86 catches, 1,211 yards, and five touchdowns last season, all career highs.
But there’s another big question hanging over Baltimore: what’s going on with Lamar Jackson? Lately, the rumour mill’s been busy. Nobody seems sure what Jackson wants, or what the Ravens’ plan is. Nick Faria, an NFL insider, even said on the Boy Green Daily Show that this could be Jackson’s last year in Baltimore. He mentioned some concerns inside the organisation, nothing specific, but enough to make people wonder if the team and their star quarterback are heading in different directions.
Still, Graziano says the Ravens want to keep Jackson around. He’s got two years left on his deal at $53 million a year, with $29 million of his 2026 salary already guaranteed. But after that, the guarantees dry up, and his cap hit this year jumps to $74.5 million.
So, what happens next? Nobody knows for sure. But as the 2026 season gets closer, Baltimore’s future, especially at quarterback, feels more up in the air than it has in a long time.
DEXTER LAWRENCE TRADE REQUEST LOOMS OVER GIANTS' PREPARATIONS FOR PITTSBURGH NFL DRAFT
Dexter Lawrence wants out! Discover why the Giants are considering a trade before the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
The New York Giants might have no choice but to trade Dexter Lawrence before the NFL Draft. Negotiations on a new contract with the star defender have hit a wall, and Lawrence already asked for a trade earlier this month. He's skipped the team’s first offseason practices under new head coach John Harbaugh, which hasn’t helped matters.
At this point, the Giants have been talking with several teams about a possible deal for Lawrence. With the draft coming up in Pittsburgh next week, the pressure is on. They need picks, and right now they only hold two selections in the top 100. Harbaugh’s trying to breathe new life into the roster, but he needs more draft capital to do it.
News of the stalled negotiations came just hours after GM Joe Schoen sounded pretty upbeat, saying talks had been "productive". He explained that he, Harbaugh, and senior VP Dawn Aponte were all in regular contact with Lawrence’s reps, looking for some kind of resolution. Schoen insisted they want Dexter to stay, but he admitted it’s out of their hands now. They’ll just have to see what happens.
Lawrence, 28, signed a four-year, $90 million extension last year. Since then, defensive contracts have exploded, so his deal has dropped to just 11th among league defenders. On top of that, the team’s shaken up its roster, letting go of many Lawrence’s close teammates like Saquon Barkley.
Lawrence has been with the Giants since they drafted him 17th overall in 2019. He’s played his whole seven-year career in New York, earning three trips to the Pro Bowl and two second-team All-Pro honours. His career stats include 30.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and an interception. But last year wasn’t great; he only managed half a sack, eight QB hits, and a pass rush win rate of 8.3 per cent for a team that finished 4-13. It’s hard to tell if he’ll stay with the Giants much longer.
RORY MCILROY TARGETS SEVENTH MAJOR AT ARONIMINK FOLLOWING EMOTIONAL MASTERS DEFENSE
No long break for Rory McIlroy! After his 6th major win, McIlroy eyes the PGA Championship at Aronimink this May.
Rory McIlroy isn’t following the same script after this Masters win. When reporters asked if he’d take another long break, as he did in 2025, Rory had a different plan in mind.
He’s not disappearing for months this time. Instead, he’s taking a couple of weeks off before jumping back into PGA Tour action. The next big event on the calendar is the PGA Championship, starting May 14 at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania, but it sounds like Rory wants to get some tournament play before then.
He talked about his mindset shift after winning again at Augusta. “My schedule’s going to be different this year,” he said on April 13. “Last year, I thought winning the Grand Slam would be the destination. But actually, it’s just part of the ride. Now that I’ve won my sixth major, I feel great about my game and my body.
“I waited ages to win the Masters, and then I won two in a row. I definitely want to enjoy this. I’ll take a couple weeks off, but I don’t think I’ll hit that motivation lull I felt last year after the win.”
So, what comes next for Rory? He’s skipping the RBC Heritage this week, and his appearance at the Zurich Classic isn’t confirmed either.
Then, there’s Donald Trump, who might’ve let the cat out of the bag. After congratulating Rory on social media, Trump said he was looking forward to watching him at Doral during the Cadillac Championship on April 30. That’s not an official confirmation, but it’s a pretty solid clue that Rory’s next start could be there.
Now that he’s up to six majors and finally has back-to-back Masters titles, Rory’s thinking ahead. The next big stop? The PGA Championship, where he’ll chase number seven. But he’s not feeling satisfied just yet.
“I don’t want to put a hard number on it, but this is just part of the journey,” he said. “I’ve still got things I want to accomplish even as I make sure I enjoy the moment, too.”