It seems like everything is going well for Rashod Bateman in the Ravens training camp at this moment. He has exceeded all expectations and looks exactly what the Ravens expected from him when they drafted him in 2021. But let’s not get our hopes up too high here. Let’s be realistic. The No. 2 wide receiver on the Ravens core has not proven himself yet. He has had some highlight plays, but there hasn’t been a season where he has proven he can be a lethal weapon for the Ravens. Sure, the Ravens have Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers leading the charge among Baltimore's pass catchers, but Bateman taking that next step would be massive for this offense. Granted, that not happening yet isn't entirely on him.
Plagued by the injury bug since he first started his career in the NFL, the journey hasn’t been easy for the Minnesota product. In 2021, Bateman played 12 games with 515 yards and a touchdown. Not bad as a rookie who didn’t play a whole season in the NFL (also the fact he never played with Lamar Jackson that year), but 2022 was a year to forget. Only playing seven games due to a surgery requiring foot injury, he recorded 285 yards and two touchdowns. 2023 wasn’t any better, even with a whole season under his belt. He recorded 367 yards and a score. During that same 2023 season, he still had screws in his foot from the surgery back in 2022, and the Ravens had acquired NFL superstar Odell Beckham Jr for a one-year deal, so Bateman was already overshadowed while playing with an injury.
Now that Bateman is finally free of any setbacks, foot and all, the Ravens opted to give him a two-year, 12 million-dollar deal with 4.5 million in guaranteed money. Although it's really a one-year deal in all but name due to the guarantees, he now has a golden opportunity in front of him to prove GM Eric De Costa and Head Coach John Harbaugh right this season.
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