Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman parlayed his breakout 2024 season into his second contract extension in a little over a year.
Bateman and the Ravens finalized a three-year, $36.75 million extension on Thursday, sources close to the negotiations confirmed. The deal is a nice reward for the receiver who had a career-high 756 receiving yards and nine touchdowns last year and added two more touchdowns in the playoffs.
The extension continues the organization’s trend of prioritizing deals with its own players. The Ravens signed running back Derrick Henry to a two-year, $30 million extension last month. They’re working on potential extensions with many other players, including quarterback Lamar Jackson, center Tyler Linderbaum and safety Kyle Hamilton.
A first-round pick by Baltimore in 2021, Bateman had a rough start to his NFL career, missing 16 games because of injuries over his first two seasons and not always appearing to be on the same page with the Ravens’ decision-makers. During the 2023 offseason, Bateman, who has annually been the subject of trade speculation, took to social media to criticize general manager Eric DeCosta.
However, Bateman and DeCosta maintain a strong relationship, and the latest contract extension adds to that. The deal includes $16.5 million guaranteed and an $8 million signing bonus, per team sources. With two years remaining on his previous deal, Bateman is now under contract with the team through 2029.
Running it back with @R_bateman2 😈 pic.twitter.com/MIlpwuUox0
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) June 5, 2025
“Rashod made a big jump last year, and we are excited to watch him this season,” DeCosta said in a statement. “He’s a young playmaker who is an important piece of our offense. Congratulations to Rashod and his family!”
Bateman’s two-year, $12.8 million extension last April was a result of circumstances that stemmed from the wide receiver not accruing a credited season in 2023 and not being eligible to cash in on the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. Bateman started last year’s training camp on the “did not report list,” which triggered the non-credited season.
If he hadn’t signed the extension last year, Bateman would have been a restricted free agent this past March. However, the Ravens extended him at an affordable price to give Bateman some security. They then got back to the bargaining table this offseason after Bateman thoroughly outperformed the contract extension.
The Ravens signed veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins this offseason, but Bateman figures to remain the team’s No. 2 wideout, behind 2024 Pro Bowler Zay Flowers, and one of the featured targets for Jackson. One of the league’s better route runners and separators, Bateman had 45 catches last year on 72 targets and established himself as a go-to guy in the red zone.
Bateman frequently cited the fact that he was able to remain healthy last year as one of the reasons for his breakout. The Ravens believe he has the potential to be an even bigger threat going forward.
(Photo: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)
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