One Former Draft Bust the Ravens Will Finally Give Up On This Offseason

Baltimore still needs a lot of help from their wide receiver corps, but this former first-rounder's time might be up.

Nov 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (7) before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Back in 2021, Rashod Bateman was generally considered a good pick for the Baltimore Ravens out of Minnesota.

The thought was that the then 21-year old first-rounder could grow alongside quarterback Lamar Jackson, who by that season had already captured one NFL most Valuable Player Award and was working on a second one.

Fast-forward five years later, and we're still waiting for a 75-catch season, an 800-receiving yard season, or a 10-receiving touchdown season from Bateman. The time might have come to move on and bet on someone else.

As it turns out, the Ravens found their WR1 two years later when they picked Zay Flowers out of Boston College in the first-round of the draft. Now, Baltimore is getting ready to finalize an extension that could be ready before Week 1, likely launching Flowers into the upper echelon of wide receiver contracts, while significantly lowering his 27.3 million cap hit for the 2027 season in the process.

As the Ravens put the final touches on its transition from a tight end-oriented passing offense to a wide receiver-oriented one, the issue of what Bateman can actually contribute going forward after a miserable 2025 campaign remains.

Why the Ravens need to move on from Rashod Bateman

Gearing up for his sixth year in the NFL, Bateman is coming off his worst season as a pro in receiving yards (224). Over the course of 12 starts in 13 games played, Bateman didn’t even reach 20 catches and logged two touchdown grabs. He also owns two whole seasons of just one touchdown reception each, and has crossed the 500-yard mark just twice in his career.

Those are the kind of numbers that belong to a third or fourth wideout option. 

As things stand now, Flowers is firmly entrenched as the undisputed leader among wideouts, with rookies Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarrat competing with 2024 fourth round choice Devontez Walker for significant targets in 2026.

At this point in time, if any one or two of those youngsters can offer a similar production to Bateman, why hang on to him this year and potentially block their development?

Sure, parting ways with Bateman offers no cap relief thanks to a three-year $36.75 million extension signed last year, but it could accelerate Walker or Lane’s development into a potential WR2 behind Flowers.

Remember, tight end Mark Andrews will still get his share of targets, even after a down year of his own, and Flowers should once again command somewhere in the range of 110-120 targets throughout the season. 

But ensuring some 50 or so targets that would otherwise belong to Bateman are distributed to the younger guys could result in a better, quicker payoff. 

And, that’s still not factoring in that Baltimore has yet to comply with its long-standing tradition of adding a veteran wideout on the back end of his career to the roster. If the Ravens do in fact choose to go down this path once again, divvying up Bateman’s projected targets among the youngsters could be even more necessary for their development.

Besides, at 26-years old, Bateman is still young enough to spark some interest in the trade market.

Bottom-line is we already know what Bateman is capable of bringing in terms of production. After five years with the team, it not only looks like he has maxed out as a player, but it’s also obvious that Baltimore miscalculated when they extended him in 2025. 

The Ravens need to work out a different supporting cast for Flowers, and clinging on to Bateman interferes with that transition.