Share and Follow
Zay Flowers has made a bold claim that suggests the New York Giants might need to brace themselves for John Harbaugh’s intense practice style.
The Ravens’ wide receiver has attributed the team’s injury woes to Harbaugh’s rigorous approach to training sessions.
“It’s full pads every time,” Flowers shared on the “4th and South” podcast, which aired on Thursday. “As many practices in pads as possible, we’re doing them all. Even in Week 17, we’re still doing one-on-ones. By Week 17, everyone is exhausted, yet we’re still pushing through.”
John Harbaugh was dismissed by the Ravens following an 8-9 season—his 18th year with the team—plagued by injuries to crucial players, notably quarterback Lamar Jackson.
According to Flowers, the reason behind these challenges was clear.
“That’s why we had a lot of injuries, because of how we practiced, how we went,” he told hosts and ex-NFLers Leonard Fournette and Jarvis Landry. “The load was heavy.”
Harbaugh landed with the Giants in a seismic offseason move, while the Ravens hired former Baltimore assistant Jesse Minter.
“He] knows how we worked with Harbaugh,” Flowers said. “So he’s like, ‘You’re going to get your work, but it’s going to be a little easier on your body. You’re going to be fresher for the game.’ That was the first talk I had with him — ‘How’s practice going to look?’”
Not that the 2023 first-round pick didn’t take anything positive away from his former coach.
“How he prepared for games, he can get anybody prepared,” Flowers said. “He’s good at getting you ready to go play. Not just speeches, just the way we practiced. How he gets you prepared to go play and hit and do your job.”
In three pro seasons under Harbaugh, Flowers racked up 3,128 yards and 14 touchdowns on 237 receptions — including a career-best 1,211 yards and 86 catches in 2025.
The coach, meanwhile, comes to the Giants with a career record of 180-113, a 13-11 mark in the playoffs and a Super Bowl win (2012), in a move that was celebrated by fans of the franchise.