What happened: The contract for Zay Flowers includes a $24.855 million signing bonus and fully guaranteed base salaries for 2026 and 2027. Including money already owed for those seasons, the full six-year package averages $28.327 million annually.

Why it matters: The extension matches Justin Jefferson's $35 million new-money benchmark. Its six-year structure keeps Flowers under contract through 2031, giving Baltimore long-term certainty at receiver.

What to watch: The next cash checkpoint is Oct. 31, when the remaining $6 million of the signing bonus is due. A $26.74 million option bonus follows in 2027, with $20 million due by March 31.