Ravens urged to cut ties with $36 million Rashod Bateman after disappointing 2025 season collapse

The Baltimore Ravens may not have publicly declared their intentions, but their actions this offseason have fueled fresh questions about Rashod Bateman’s future. After a disappointing 2025 campaign, the former first-round pick finds himself under increasing scrutiny. Baltimore used back-to-back draft selections on wide receivers Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt, adding competition to a position group that already revolves around Zay Flowers. With Bateman coming off another injury-hit season and struggling to make a consistent impact, league observers are beginning to wonder whether the Ravens are preparing for life without him.

Why is Rashod Bateman being linked to trade rumors?

Bateman entered 2025 hoping to build on the promise he showed a year earlier. In 2024, he finally delivered the kind of production Baltimore expected when it drafted him in the first round, posting 45 catches, 756 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. That performance earned him a three-year contract extension worth nearly $37 million.

The momentum, however, disappeared quickly. Injuries resurfaced and his role in the offense shrank dramatically. Bateman finished the 2025 season with just 19 receptions for 224 yards and two touchdowns while missing four games.

Those numbers have led some analysts to question whether the Ravens should move him before the regular season begins. Bleacher Report's Moe Moton recently included Bateman among players teams should consider trading.

“For one season (2024), Rashod Bateman showed flashes that he could play up to his first-round draft pedigree,” Moton wrote on June 2. “He hauled 45 passes for 756 yards and nine touchdowns that year. Last offseason, the Baltimore Ravens signed Bateman to a three-year, $36.8 million extension, but he fell back into an afterthought in the passing game. In 2025, Bateman caught 19 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns. And once again, he was plagued by injuries, missing four games. Following a down year, Bateman isn’t going to garner much interest on the trade market, but the Ravens can try to package him with draft capital to facilitate a deal.”

The Ravens' draft strategy only intensified those discussions. Even before selecting Lane and Sarratt, ESPN analyst Ben Solak questioned whether Bateman had done enough to secure the WR2 role long term.

Could a fresh start help Bateman revive his career?

While a trade might be difficult because of his contract structure, some evaluators believe a new environment could be exactly what Bateman needs. His cap hit rises over the next two seasons, which complicates potential negotiations, but it does not eliminate them.

ESPN's Aaron Schatz argued earlier this year that Bateman could benefit from a different situation altogether.

“The idea that Bateman needs a change of scenery might be unexpected considering the Ravens signed him to a three-year, $36.75 million extension before the 2025 season,” Schatz wrote in February. “But he had a very disappointing campaign, with just 19 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns. A part of his problem last season was that opponents treated Bateman as the Ravens’ WR1 because Zay Flowers was in the slot being covered by a nickelback. Bateman just isn’t good enough to get away from that coverage, and he might flourish with a new team for whom he can be more of a complementary player.”

For now, Baltimore has given no indication that a trade is imminent. Still, the addition of two rookie receivers and growing league skepticism have placed Bateman under a brighter spotlight than ever. Whether he remains with the Ravens or eventually lands elsewhere, the 2026 season is shaping up as a pivotal chapter in his NFL career.