You know what NFL teams really hate? Paying tens of millions to players who don’t produce.
The Baltimore Ravens have a player on their roster like that in wide receiver Rashod Bateman, who signed a 3-year, $36.75 million contract extension in April 2025 and responded with the worst season of his career — 19 receptions for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns in 13 games.
ESPN’s Seth Walder predicts the Ravens will trade Bateman after the 2026 season, unloading his burdensome contract elsewhere.
Bateman will have approximately $62 million in career earnings when his current deal runs out following the 2029 season.
“The Ravens will trade Rashod Bateman in 2027,” Walder wrote on August 17. “Other than a solid 2024 season (756 receiving yards), Bateman hasn’t really lived up to his hype. Right now, the Ravens need him. But they have a slew of young players — Ja’Kobi Lane, Devontez Walker and Elijah Sarratt — who could ascend and take his targets.”
Ja’Kobi Lane Could Make for Easy Decision
Lane, 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, could make the decision on Batmean easy for the Ravens.
The 2026 3rd-round pick showed he isn’t just a Training Camp Hero came in the Ravens’ preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday night, including a thrilling, 16-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the 1st quarter.
“A familiar sight of the summer for the Ravens — Ja’Kobi Lane in the end zone,” ESPN’s Jamison Hensley wrote on his official X account. “What stands out here is how Lane immediately drives to the end zone after making the catch. It’s a 16-yard TD for the impressive rookie third-round pick … the star of training camp shines in the preseason opener.”
Rashod Bateman Called Out Over ‘Lost Season’
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta seemed to acknowledge Bateman’s struggles in an offseason interview.
After a breakout season of 45 receptions for 756 yards and 9 touchdowns in 17 games in 2024 — the 1st time in his career Bateman played every regular-season game — his follow-up was the 2025 disaster.
As a team, the Ravens went 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the 1st time since 2021 after entering the season as AFC favorites. Now, the Ravens have a new head coach, Jesse Minter, and a new offensive coordinator in Declan Doyle.
“I’m really, really excited to see how he does this year with Declan in this offense,” DeCosta said during an appearance on Baltimore Sports Radio 105.7-FM The Fan. “Everybody’s excited about him. He’s going to have a lot of opportunities this year. Last year was just kind of a lost season in some ways, but that’s no indication of the type of player we think he is. I love the guy. He’s his own biggest critic in a lot of ways. He’s a playmaker. I expect him to have a big year this year.”
There’s not a realistic trade package for Bateman right now because of how poorly he played in 2025 combined with how much money he’s making.
The Ravens don’t have a voidable year in Bateman’s contract until 2028. While he only counted $4.548 million against the salary cap in 2025, that number goes up to $6.298 million in 2026 and $10.9 million in 2027.
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