Rashod Bateman has every reason to be eager about what’s next in Baltimore.
After a sharp 2024 season in which he put up 756 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, the veteran Ravens wideout took a hard step back in 2025, finishing with just 19 catches and a career-low 224 receiving yards. Now heading into his sixth season, Bateman believes the move to first-year offensive coordinator Declan Doyle’s scheme gives him a real chance to get back on track.
"I just have got to keep playing ball," Bateman said. "It's about making plays when my number is called.
That's what I'm looking forward to doing - bouncing back. That's part of being a football player.
It goes on a lot in this league, so I'm looking forward to doing that."
Bateman knows what it looks like to thrive in Baltimore. Two years ago, he posted the best numbers of his career under Todd Monken, who is now the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.
Even then, though, Bateman felt like there was more to unlock. He was used mostly as the team’s deep threat, lining up on the boundary and averaging 16.8 yards per catch with a personal-best average depth of target of 10.5 yards.
What has him energized now is the way Doyle is moving pieces around during practice. Bateman says the new offense is giving receivers and other skill players a chance to show more of what they can do.
"I'm moving around all over the place," Bateman said. "I feel like in the past, I've been kind of a one-dimensional receiver.
I feel like Declan Doyle's seen my talent. He sees everybody's talent.
A lot of guys are moving around, and he's playing to everybody's strengths. I think there's a lot that we all get to show.
I'm excited to see that.
"As a receiver, you want somebody to believe in you. You want somebody to see your ability. And I think Declan is doing a good job of moving all of us around - not just myself."
Bateman’s career has been slowed by injuries and availability issues since the start. His first two seasons were cut short, he played all but one game in his third year but clearly was not at full strength, and last season he missed four games because of an ankle injury suffered on a hip-drop tackle. With that stretch behind him, he says he feels ready for what comes next.
"I feel good. I'm healthy.
I'm blessed," Bateman said. "I had a good offseason.
With the new vibes around here, I'm definitely excited. There's new energy, new offense.
I'm doing things that I've never done before. I'm blessed and excited to see what we've got in store."
He’s not just thinking about himself, either. Bateman is bullish on the rest of Baltimore’s receiver room, starting with Zay Flowers, who recently signed a franchise-record extension that keeps him with the Ravens through the 2031 season.
"I don't even think we've seen the ceiling of what he can do," Bateman said. "There's so much more that I feel like he's going to show the world. I think he can do that in this offense."
The group also includes Devontez Walker and two rookies, Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt, and Bateman believes there’s room for all of them to make an impact.
"You all see Ja'Kobi Lane out there making plays and Tez Walker," Bateman said. "I think there's a lot in store for a lot of guys this season."
Lane, in particular, has been one of the early standouts of camp. Through roughly two weeks of practice, he has been piling up one eye-catching catch after another, often with Lamar Jackson delivering the ball, and he’s steadily earning more trust along the way.
"Ja'Kobi is making plays right now," Bateman said. "He's leading in his own way.
Every player has their strengths, but I think everybody's showing up to work, [giving their] all. And I think that's all you can ask for right now."
In Other News...
Ravens Rookie Receiver Battle May Already Be Swinging One Way
Baltimores search for a bigger target at receiver brought two rookie names into camp with real intrigue, and Ja'Kobi Lane has wasted little time making his case. The Ravens drafted Lane and Elijah Sarratt with the same need in mind, hoping one of them could help fill the kind of role the offense has been missing, and early on it has been Lane who has looked ready to seize the moment.
Sarratts path has been slowed by a leg injury from mandatory minicamp, which has made the competition harder to read than Baltimore likely hoped. Lane, meanwhile, has been steadily building momentum in camp and looks positioned to keep pushing for a meaningful spot if the reps keep going his way. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Push The Edge During Their Most Physical Camp Day Yet
The Ravens spent their longest training camp practice of the summer leaning hard into the kind of work that can set a tone for the rest of August. Long drive drills, live tackling and even coaches jumping into tackling work turned the day into a true test of stamina and edge, with physicality clearly baked into the plan from the start.
Jesse Minter had his hands full as the intensity rose and several players got into heated exchanges, but nothing spilled over into an actual fight. For a team trying to sharpen its competitive habits, it was the sort of practice that walked right up to the line without crossing it, and that may have been the point. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Just Raised The Stakes On Lamar Jacksons Next Deal
The Ravens spent part of their offseason reinforcing the future around Lamar Jackson, locking up wide receiver Zay Flowers on a four-year, $140 million extension. It is the kind of move that signals how seriously Baltimore views its young offensive core, and it also underscores just how much the team has invested in giving Jackson the pieces needed to keep the offense rolling.
What comes next is the bigger front-office test. Jackson is still in contract negotiations with the Ravens, and those talks have not been finalized, leaving the organization with one marquee deal already done and another far more important one still hanging over the roster. Baltimore would prefer to keep both stars in place, but the shape of Flowers' new contract only adds more intrigue to how the next round of talks with its franchise quarterback will unfold. [Read more 🡒]