Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman was faced with high expectations from the moment he entered the league as the No. 27 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
But injuries and inconsistent production have plagued Bateman throughout his young NFL career. The 24-year-old has become a target for criticism, but he’s not shying away from his skeptics. He knows he still has plenty to prove.
“I don’t blame anybody for feeling how they feel,” Bateman said on Glenn Clark Radio May 1. “The Ravens fans, the coaches — I feel like they have the right to feel that way. I was a first-round draft pick and there’s expectations.”
Those expectations aren’t going away anytime soon. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta announced April 29 that the team agreed to terms on a contract extension with Bateman that will keep the receiver in Baltimore through 2026. He will earn $15.25 million in the next three seasons.
The extension came as a bit of a surprise to Bateman but provides some security in knowing he’s no longer entering a contract year.
“Just knowing that they want me here and having them in my corner, having the team trust me, having some type of security, it’s kind of like a fresh start for me all over again,” Bateman said. “I’m definitely excited, looking forward to it. I’ve got a lot to prove.”
Bateman had a productive rookie season after groin surgery sidelined him for the first six games. He caught 46 passes for 515 yards but hasn’t been able to match those numbers in the two seasons since. A season-ending foot surgery limited him to just six games in 2022, and while last season was his healthiest (16 games), he posted just 32 receptions for 367 yards.
Now fully healthy, Bateman wants to prove he’s a better player than what his production through his first three seasons showed.
“I feel like I’ve proven to myself that I can play in this league just by going out there and playing on the field, but I think I want to prove to myself that I can actually be a star, be a player, be someone the team can depend on, reliable,” Bateman said. “… Took some hits, some ups and downs, but I’m in a good spot right now. I feel good, I’m healthy, excited, all my chips in the basket. It should be a good year.”
Tight end Mark Andrews has long been quarterback Lamar Jackson’s favorite target. First-round pick Zay Flowers led the team in catches and receiving yards as a rookie last season. With those players seemingly at the top of the hierarchy in the Ravens’ passing game, questions have been raised about the connection between Jackson and Bateman.
Bateman admits he and Jackson didn’t have the same connection on the field last season that they did when he was rookie. After training with Jackson ahead of his first two seasons, Bateman missed all of camp in 2023 recovering from foot surgery.
“Lamar trusts me. I’ve trained with Lamar, I’ve worked out with Lamar, but last year, we did not have that connection. And that’s due to me and my injury,” Bateman said. “… And for a quarterback, it’s tough. It’s a feeling thing. You’ve got to know your receivers, you’ve got to feel your receivers, and me just coming back, it kind of threw everybody else off schedule and it changed the game plan.”
The pair didn’t find each other on the field very often a season ago, but Bateman assures his relationship with Jackson is strong. While he doesn’t dismiss his own criticism, Bateman is quick to stand up for his quarterback.
“He’s a two-time MVP right now and people are still talking shit about how, ‘He hasn’t done this, he hasn’t done that,'” Bateman said. “It takes 11 people to win a game. Tom Brady didn’t win those Super Bowls by himself. Patrick Mahomes didn’t do it by himself. … We all cherish [Jackson], look up to him, and he’s definitely leading us in the right direction.”
One of the few things Jackson hasn’t accomplished in the NFL is leading the Ravens to a Super Bowl. After falling short in the AFC championship game last season, everyone in the organization from top to bottom has their eyes on the big prize.
“Everybody, from coaches to strength staff to nutrition, being back in the building, everybody is really locked in and committed on how to be better and how we can take that extra step,” Bateman said.
For more from Bateman, listen to the full interview here:
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