Ravens WR Rashod Bateman Says He'll "Deal" With Any Consequences Of June Arrest

The former first-round pick spoke about the incident for the first time after Wednesday's practice

Jul 29, 2026; Owings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (7) during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rashod Bateman was already entering 2026 likely playing for his future in Baltimore, and perhaps as a starting receiver anywhere, before getting arrested in June while away from Ravens team activities.

The former first-round pick has struggled to stay healthy and struggled to perform consistently and been the subject of legit trade decisions over multiple years, but Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has continued to cling to him. Now the Ravens enter Week 1 with Bateman very much still a starter and quite important in an offense short on experience at receiver.

Bateman spoke in vague terms about his legal problems Wednesday for the first time, ahead of a trip to Indianapolis. Bateman was charged with three counts of family violence for an incident in which police say involved his three-man-old child and the child’s mother, first reported by TMZ, that came to light last month.

“I appreciate you asking, but there is only so much that I can say right now,” Bateman said when asked about his arrest after practice. “It is a legal situation, so I am looking forward to playing football this Sunday."

Bateman chose his words very carefully, as did the Ravens in the statement they issued in the aftermath of the TMZ report. The team claims it was aware of the situation shortly after it occurred and DeCosta spoke around the troublesome allegations when asked about Bateman last week, deferring to the league and authorities while he represents the team in all normal capacities.

“It is obviously something that we are very disappointed about that we have to deal with these kind of things,” DeCosta said. “I think right now, a little bit of a distraction at some points, but we made a statement — we knew about it right away.

“We contacted the league right away. Spoke to the league. The league has been doing an investigation, as well as, I suppose, the authorities. In these matters, we just really kind of sit back and wait for the league and for the authorities to kind of tell us what is going on. We will wait. Have no indication how long that is going to take.”

This Situation Could Linger

The NFL did not place Bateman on the Exempt List – basically paid leave – before roster cutdowns when other discipline matters were handled. There is no firm timetable on how long the league will take before ending its probe into Bateman and any potential actions.

“Whatever the consequences are, I will deal with it,” Bateman said. “But we still waiting on the league and the front office to let us know what is going on."

Veteran receiver Devontez Walker (groin) is in jeopardy of missing the game and the Ravens have two rookie receivers on the roster, with Ja’Kobi Lane coming off a strong summer, and not much more than that.

Bateman had a strong campaign in 2024, but has been a mess otherwise. Jackson has his lowest passer rating throwing to him of any receiver with at least 40 targets, and the Ravens have kept him around because he is on a very team friendly contract – the result of an ill-advised holdout that impacted his free-agency status. The general manager being heavily criticized throughout his tenure for his failures evaluating receivers might have something to do with Bateman’s longevity as well.