Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman signed a three-year, $36.75 million contract extension with $20 million guaranteed this offseason. However, reports are now that the Ravens’ pass catcher actually looked into trade opportunities ahead of signing the deal.
“What led to his contract extension is that he was almost traded during this offseason,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler told the NFL Live crew. “He went to the Ravens, wanted a new deal, they simply said, ‘no,’ but they gave him permission to seek a trade. So, he went out on the open market, talked to teams, and I was told there were several involved … the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers. So, he saw he had a market. The Ravens saw that and said, ‘OK, we’ll just pay you instead. We won’t trade you.’”
How trade talks helped spark a Rashod Bateman extension in Baltimore. pic.twitter.com/5sQfD8beY4
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) June 7, 2025
Bateman is the definition of a middling wide receiver. Last season, he caught 45 balls for 756 yards and nine touchdowns, which ranked 95th, 43rd, and ninth, respectively.
Those numbers represent the fifth-year wideout’s best NFL season, although he had one more catch during his rookie campaign. Talent and production aren’t Bateman’s biggest problems, though. Last season was his best campaign because it was the first time he played in all 17 games. He was available for 12, six, and 16 games during his first three seasons.
The injury concerns aside, this was probably a smart deal for the Ravens. The team has a WR1 in Zay Flowers and made an interesting veteran acquisition this Spring by bringing in DeAndre Hopkins. So, there will be little pressure on Bateman and he can continue to put up solid numbers in the background.
What this Rashon Bateman trade/contract extension scenario illustrates most, though, is the growing value of WR2s in the league. With top wideouts now regularly making over $30 million per season, the value of proven commodities who will produce at $10-$12 million per year has gone up.
That is what the 2021 first-round pick found out on the open market, and the Ravens found out before they opened their checkbook and wrote a big fat check to Batman.
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