The Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta selected rookie Zay Flowers with the No. 22 pick in the 2023 NFL draft. The young star was the third wide receiver off Baltimore’s board to be selected in the first round of the Draft in the last five years, and hence, the team didn’t hesitate to ink him to a lucrative deal in the offseason.
Zay is expected to establish himself as a fierce troop in the team’s veteran WR room including Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, and Odell Beckham Jr. However, even before showcasing his caliber on the field, the 22-year-old seems to have blown away OBJ and his other teammates’ minds by revealing some details about his big contract.
Odell Beckham Jr.’s reaction to Zay Flowers’ $7M signing bonus revelation
In a recent video posted by Baltimore’s official page, Flowers was asked to introduce himself by mentioning his name, college, and signing bonus in the team meeting. The Ravens players were composed till he mentioned his whopping $7 million signing bonus while holding a basketball in hand.
Name: @ZayFlowers
School: Boston College
Signing bonus… @obj fell over 😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/HrNblJnEjX
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 30, 2023
Pretty much all the players exclaimed with wonder, with Beckham getting floored as he fell backward out of his chair hearing the amount. However, OBJ himself is no stranger to blockbuster contracts as he signed a one-year $15 million contract with the Ravens a few days ago with a $13.8 million signing bonus.
Back in 2018, he also signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the New York Giants before he was traded a year later to the Cleveland Browns.
Details on Zay Flowers’ contract with the Ravens
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Baltimore signed Flowers to a four-year, $14 million fully guaranteed contract along with a $7.2 million signing bonus to be paid in 2023, per his agents Eric Dounn and Matt Leist of Loyalty Above All Sports and Entertainment Agency.
Contract signed 🖊️@ZayFlowers pic.twitter.com/z7iioSMOj8
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) June 14, 2023
The South Florida native moonlighted as a hero in Boston College by setting a new career record for receiving yards (3,056), receptions (200) as well as touchdown catches (29). The wide receiver recorded career highs with 78 catches for 1,077 yards as well as 12 touchdowns last year, marking his best performance in college football.
The Ravens other draft picks of 2023 including linebacker Trenton Simpson, offensive lineman MalaeSala Aumavae-Laulu, edge defender Tavius Robinson, cornerback Kyu Blue Kelly, and offensive guard Andrew Vorhees signed deals with the franchise before the 22nd overall pick.
By signing a blockbuster deal, the Ravens set high bars for Flowers. Do you think that the rookie will be able to live up to the lofty expectations? You can share your thoughts in the comments.
