Rashod Bateman Has Shown The Ravens What He Is. They Should Believe Him

The former first-round pick has had one impactful season, which was an anomaly across the board. We don't see it happening again

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

The one season in which Rashod Bateman fulfilled his promise and performed at a consistently high level and was a true difference maker, everything else fell into place for the entire Ravens offense, too.

Bateman was incredibly motivated in 2024, by virtue of a prior brief holdout denying his ability to reach free agency on time (he was paying for less $5M that season) and he ended up being surrounded by an offensive cast and scheme that was truly historic. The offensive line performed at a level we haven’t seen in quite some time, veteran play caller Todd Monken was in tremendous form and the Ravens uncorked one of the most dynamic and well-balanced offenses in NFL history, with Lamar Jackson performing as a dual threat in a manner rarely seen in the annals of this league.

It stands to reason that Bateman’s breakthrough, which looks even more like an anomaly now than then, had as much to do with how elite every part of the offense was. He could see single coverage, Jackson and Derrick Henry were devastating running the football, and Bateman needed only really provide a few explosive down the sidelines, and that he did.

He found the endzone like never before (or again), and, for all the hype about what rookie offensive coordinator Declan Doyle could mean for this offense, and his influx of new ideas, there are also major questions being asked of the talent on this side of the ball, with Henry now 32 and Jackson coming off another injury-marred season and the offensive line looking questionable again and a bevvy of proven performers departing in free agency (Tyler Linderbaum, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Pat Ricard, among them).

One Year Wonder?

There will be a learning curve, perhaps steep, as this group adjusts to new tendencies and schemes and pace of play. Bateman not being around for the final few weeks of Organized Team Activities (the ones that Jackson was in town for) is far from ideal and he and the QB have never been on the same page save for 2024. Jackson has a lower passer rating throwing to Bateman than anyone who has caught at least 40 balls from him.

"'He's dealing with some personal things,” Doyle said last week. “Ad so, he hasn't been here for a little bit. He was here that first week. We were able to work with him quite a bit, and then he was here pretty much the whole offseason every day.

“He's an early morning guy, so a lot of times I'd be going to work out, and he's in there doing stuff by himself at times. So, I've been pleased with him. Obviously, anytime guys are here, we're working with the guys that are here, and the guys that aren't, we're expecting them to be working kind of on their own. But I'm excited for him to get back in here at [mandatory] camp and keep rolling."

It says here this will be Bateman’s final season in Baltimore (does he make it past another trade deadline after being rumored again last year), and consider it doubtful he ends up being an important and reliable cog in Doyle’s new machine.

The Numbers Aren’t Pretty

Bateman had nine touchdowns in that 2024 season; he has six total in his other four seasons. He had nine endzone targets in that season and 11 combined in the other seasons.

Bateman had 18 explosive plays in that season; he has 26 total in the other four years. He was simply one thing in that particular campaign in that uniquely diverse offense – with anyone capable of being their leading receiver from game to game – and something else entirely when he has needed to be more a main thing than an add-on.

            Snaps  Rec%   Yds       TDs      Yd/Rec Route Depth

2021    575      67.6%  515      1          11.2     7.79

2022    180      53.6%  285      2          19.0     8.26

2023    585      57.1%  367      1          11.5     10.27

2024    724      62.5%  756      9          16.8     11.26

2025    530      50.5%  224      2          11.8     10.76

I continue to believe Devontez Walker could potentially cut into Bateman’s route share on deep looks. I continue to wonder who is really going to join Zay Flowers as a regular downfield contributor in this passing game. I sincerely doubt Bateman/Jackson ever becomes the combination the Ravens had in mind when they selected him in the first round.

The lack of other proven commodities in this offense should point to Bateman being an even bigger part of it, but his star-crossed career is at another crossroads, and to this point from a mental and physical standpoint, it’s largely been a struggle. Maybe Doyle can turn him around, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

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