Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers was pulled from Sunday's game against the Colts in the second quarter after appearing to reaggravate a hamstring injury that dogged him for much of training camp, and he's been ruled questionable to return. The timing stings: Flowers was in the middle of a career day, hauling in five of six targets for a career-high 150 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown where he weaved through Indianapolis' secondary. He was seen limping on the sideline shortly before halftime and has stayed there without his helmet since.
Pro Football Doc on Zay Flowers' Hamstring Injury
Pro Football Doc said Flowers clearly pulled up with his hamstring but remains cautiously optimistic that the injury may be more tightness and soreness than a significant aggravation.
Flowers did not return in the second half, although Pro Football Doc noted that Baltimore had the game well under control, potentially allowing the Ravens to take a more cautious approach with the wide receiver.
“The hope is it was tightness,” Pro Football Doc said.
Pro Football Doc said it remains unclear whether Flowers simply experienced tightness or suffered another strain or aggravation.
“I'm cautiously optimistic that it's more tightness and a little soreness and precaution that he was held out than anything serious where he would miss next week,” Pro Football Doc said.
He cautioned that hamstring injuries are difficult to evaluate based on video alone.
The hamstring issue isn't new. Flowers battled it through the back half of August, missing practice time and landing on Baltimore's initial Week 1 injury report as a limited participant before being upgraded to full and clearing to play Sunday with no real doubt about his availability. He'd also dealt with a quad contusion earlier in camp after colliding with a teammate during a practice rep, an issue that briefly had him day-to-day as well.
Lower-body injuries have been a recurring theme for Flowers dating back to his rookie season. He suffered a right knee sprain in the second quarter of the 2024 regular-season finale against the Browns, an injury that cost him both of Baltimore's playoff games that postseason and nearly required surgery before he opted for rehab instead. He's also dealt with a right ankle injury and a hamstring strain during OTAs earlier in his career, though neither cost him significant game time. Given that pattern, any hamstring setback, even one described as minor in the moment, is worth watching closely for recurrence.
With Flowers sidelined, expect Rashod Bateman and Ja'Kobi Lane to see an expanded role in the passing game, with Mark Andrews also in line for extra looks underneath. Fantasy managers should monitor his return-to-play status the rest of the afternoon and treat next week's practice reports as the real test of how serious this one is.
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