On Thursday, the Ravens made a surprise splash move by signing wide receiver Rashod Bateman to a new three-year, $36.75 million ($20 million guaranteed) contract extension.
The Baltimore Beatdown staff provide their reactions to this move below.
I am glad to see the Ravens reward Bateman for such a strong breakout season after injuries derailed the promising start to his NFL career. Bateman and Lamar Jackson finally found a connection last season and it was a beautiful sight to see. Bateman vastly outperformed the previous two-year contract extension he signed last offseason, so it is good that Eric DeCosta was able to get out ahead of any potential disgruntlement by giving Bateman a new deal more in line with his production.
Bateman could have easily gone public with complaints after multiple years of injuries and a lack of cohesion with Jackson leading to disappointing seasons. Instead, he continued to work and bet on himself. With Bateman and Zay Flowers, the Ravens have two very good homegrown wide receivers for Jackson to throw to for at least the next two seasons while they continue to chase a Super Bowl trophy.
— Dustin Cox
The Ravens have made retaining their own young talent a priority during Eric DeCosta’s tenure. Rewarding Rashod Bateman after a career-best season makes a lot of sense. It’s not without risk given his unfortunate injury history, but Bateman is a high-end talent and perfect fit in the Ravens’ offense. He still possesses some untapped upside and pairs well with Zay Flowers as a 1-2 combination. Bateman played in all 17 games last year and was second on the team in touchdown catches with nine. He then scored two more times in the playoffs, as well. Bateman has consistently been one of the best wideouts in the league at creating separation and was highly efficient when targeted in 2024. This is a cost-friendly move for the Ravens to lock up a starting wide receiver for another few seasons. Bateman’s connection with Lamar Jackson may only continue to grow in 2025 and beyond.
— Frank Platko
Bateman’s tenure with the Ravens went from unspoken frustration and uncertainty to a respectable bridge-deal after accrued status issues and now a win-win three-year deal. As I wrote earlier this week, Bateman was a player who needed to be rewarded. He’s proven he’s developed in to a 1b receiver and last season was a testament to the player they drafted in the first round. The Ravens showed their belief in him earlier this offseason by shutting down trade talks with the Dallas Cowboys after their inquiry. Now, they’re willing to put $20 million guaranteed.
— Kyle Phoenix