Ravens' Flowers doubtful to play vs. Saints; Madubuike out

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  Jamison HensleySep 18, 2026, 04:22 PM ET

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  Jamison Hensley is a reporter covering the Baltimore Ravens for ESPN. Jamison joined ESPN in 2011, covering the AFC North before focusing exclusively on the Ravens beginning in 2013. Jamison won the National Sports Media Association Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award in 2018, and he authored a book titled: Flying High: Stories of the Baltimore Ravens. He was the Ravens beat writer for the Baltimore Sun from 2000-2011.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- It looks like the Baltimore Ravens will be without Lamar Jackson's favorite target as receiver Zay Flowers is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints.

Flowers missed a majority of practices this week after aggravating a left hamstring injury in the Ravens' season-opening 41-23 win at the Indianapolis Colts.

The loss of Flowers would be significant. Over the last 18 games, he has 91 catches for 1,361 yards. During that same stretch, the Ravens' other wide receivers have combined for 55 catches for 814 yards.

If Flowers can't play, Rashod Bateman becomes the most familiar target for Jackson. The other four healthy wide receivers are LaJohntay Wester, Devontez Walker, Elijah Sarratt and Chris Moore.

"The confidence that I have in the guys is really high," Ravens coach Jesse Minter said. "It comes from the amount of reps that everybody has gotten all the way back to OTAs, all the way through training camp and just the detail and the preparation that everybody puts in week to week. So, I feel really good about anybody that we will have out there that they will be ready to play."

Flowers has missed only three games to injury in his four seasons. The last time he was inactive was the 2024 AFC divisional playoff loss at Buffalo.

Baltimore has also ruled out Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who will have to wait another week to return from a significant neck injury. He had been limited in practice all week.

The Ravens also have three starters listed as questionable: linebacker Trey Hendrickson (finger), guard John Simpson (groin) and offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley (toe).

Stanley has been sidelined for 45 games in his 10 seasons, but only one over the previous two. If he can't play, Carson Vinson would get his first career start.

"I think it is a really cool thing to see a guy really get in there and start to play, and his play style is exactly how we want to play," Minter said of Vinson. "He is very physical [and] he plays really aggressively, So, [I am] really happy with where he is at."