OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The ball had just left Lamar Jackson’s right hand when the quarterback spun around, put one finger in the air and turned his back to the end zone. Roughly 25 yards away, wide receiver Rashod Bateman stood alone between two Cleveland Browns defenders. Jackson didn’t need to see him catch the ball to start his celebration.
A little showmanship by Jackson? Of course. But for the Baltimore Ravens and anybody who has watched the team closely in recent years, it was hard not to see that Week 18 moment — along with Jackson’s 15-yard, tight-windowed touchdown pass to Bateman in Saturday’s wild-card win over Pittsburgh — as something deeper, something several years in the making
“I remember when I was injured, we were getting all types of questions: ‘Is he working with Lamar in the offseason? Is he doing this?’” Bateman said Wednesday. “It goes to show you that hard work, commitment to your craft, being able to be on the field healthy, to have ‘L’ healthy all year, has done wonders for us.”
Yeah, @Lj_era8 knew that was 6. 😈
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— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 4, 2025
Far too often over the previous three seasons, unfortunate and often unlucky things happened when Jackson threw the ball in Bateman’s direction. There were too many incompletions, interceptions or just general miscommunications. For both the wide receiver and the team’s liking, there were too few opportunities for the talented Bateman to make big plays.
But Bateman is now firmly entrenched as one of Jackson’s go-to targets, the growing trust and chemistry between the quarterback and 25-year-old receiver more evident with each passing week. On the touchdown against the Steelers on Saturday, Bateman wasn’t yet in Jackson’s direct line of sight when the quarterback released a precise throw into a crowded end zone.
Bateman, who got a step on cornerback Donte Jackson, went to his knees to make a sliding catch. He then turned to the crowd and let loose a primal scream.
“Bateman has always been that type of guy,” Jackson said.
After catching just four touchdowns over his first three years, after being chalked up as the organization’s latest first-round receiver draft bust by a large segment of the Baltimore fan base, Bateman has 10 touchdowns this season. And after a hard-luck start to his career, Bateman getting in the end zone has become the ultimate good omen for the Ravens, who will face the Buffalo Bills Sunday night at Highmark Stadium in the AFC divisional round.
In games where Bateman has caught a touchdown this season, the Ravens are 9-0.
“This year, we’ve finally put it together. But we both understand, there’s a lot more out there for us,” Bateman said.
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Ravens No. 1 receiver Zay Flowers didn’t practice again Wednesday, and his status remains very much in doubt for Sunday. Flowers sprained his knee in Week 18 and was sidelined for the team’s playoff opener.
However, Ravens players and coaches have maintained since Flowers went down that they have more than enough offensive playmakers to win games this time of year. Prominent in that group is Bateman, a 2021 first-round pick who missed 16 games over his first two seasons and not long ago was in a “dark place” as he struggled to confront off-the-field tragedy and on-the-field struggles.
After the Ravens finished practice Wednesday, there was Bateman, leaning against a wall outside the locker room and wearing a wide smile as he greeted and joked with teammates. His progress on the field — his 756 receiving yards in the regular season were a career high — has been matched only by his growth off it. Bateman is in a good place, and that hasn’t always been the case since becoming a Raven.
“It means a lot to me that through our time together, he’s been able to overcome some things and take the next step,” said Ravens veteran wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who has been a mentor to Bateman. “The beautiful thing about Rashod is there’s more to go. He’s such a good player, so cerebral, so gifted. I’m excited for the things to come. I see him as one of the premier guys in this league. God-willing, the rest of the world gets to see it, too.”
Minnesota Golden Gophers co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Matt Simon and Bateman grew close over Bateman’s three college seasons. The two communicated regularly even after Bateman became a Raven. Simon often sends his former player reminders and words of encouragement. But when Bateman returned to campus in 2023 to sit in on a few meetings and watch a spring practice, his presence spurred the curiosity of Minnesota players and his former position coach.
“He was taking pictures around the room and I was like, ‘What are you doing?’” Simon recalled. “And he was like, ‘I just want to remember where it all started.’ I think it was a reminder for him, getting back to where he was and who he was. Not that he ever lost that, but I think with him mentally, it felt like he was getting back to a place where he was grounded.”
Bateman still consults those pictures, which include tips on fundamentals and proper habits, that he took that day.
“It was kind of a reset for me,” Bateman said. “It was the perfect time for me.”
At that point, Bateman had already dealt with an abdominal injury that required surgery and marred his rookie season and a Lisfranc foot sprain that prematurely ended his second season. His foot still throbbed and he barely could run when he reported to training camp in 2023 for his third year. Bateman also was struggling to block out the criticism from fans, who had grown tired of the organization’s misses at the wide receiver position and its inability to surround Jackson with a quality receiving corps.
Making matters worse, Bateman was struggling off the field. His grandmother, Ida Mathis, who took care of Bateman when he was a kid and was a major influence on his life, died of cancer in January 2023. Not long after her passing, Bateman’s high school-aged cousin took his own life.
“I feel like I’m at a point in my life now where there’s literally nothing that can waver and determine how I feel — no player, coach, the game of football, nothing like that,” Bateman said. “I feel like I was at the lowest of lows. You can’t get much lower than that (with) the injuries, the people I lost. It was like everything at once. Obviously, life will continue to happen, but I feel like I’m good now. I’m much better in the way I’m handling it and controlling it.”
In many ways, last season represented a breakthrough for Bateman. He didn’t make the on-field impact that he hoped (32 catches for 367 yards and one touchdown), and a lack of opportunities was a big reason why, but he remained healthy. Despite all the angst about his surgically repaired foot, Bateman missed just one game.
He learned to appreciate finding ways to contribute to Baltimore’s wins and appreciate the little things. He made major progress on the mental side.
“His energy is positive and I love that about him,” said Agholor. “It took me to better understand him, too. It was unique to me. I had to meet him somewhere and truly understand that he’s very cerebral about a lot of things and what he says comes from a place of true understanding. He ain’t just saying stuff.”
Still, Bateman yearned for a more significant role on offense — he averaged just 3.5 targets per game — and he wasn’t sure that he’d get it with the Ravens, who leaned heavily on their running game and tight ends.
Bateman is an effortless runner and is savvy and precise with his routes. His separation metrics in games suggested that he was getting plenty open. Yet, that didn’t translate to him getting a lot of targets or consistently good things happening when the ball did come his way last year.
“We’ve seen plenty of film on Bateman just getting open on guys, but the ball wasn’t going his way, because it was always out of my hands, or (there was) pressure or something back inside, so he wasn’t able to get the ball,” Jackson said.
When the offseason started following the AFC championship loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last January, there was speculation that Bateman would be traded.
Because Bateman was late to show up for the start of the 2023 training camp and was placed on the “did not report list,” he didn’t accrue a credited season last year. That meant he was not eligible for a fifth-year option on his rookie contract like other first-round selections in 2021 were. Instead, Bateman would have played out the 2024 season and then been a restricted free agent come March.
To avoid that, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta approached Bateman and his agent with an extension offer. The idea was to provide a little stability and put some money in his pocket, rather than having him play the season while wondering about his future.
“DeCosta and the organization did me a solid,” said Bateman, who signed a two-year, $12.9 million extension that puts him under contract with Baltimore through 2026.
The next show of faith from the Ravens came in what they didn’t do. Despite losing wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Devin Duvernay in free agency, the Ravens didn’t use any significant salary-cap dollars or premium draft picks to add to their receiving corps. Instead, DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh spoke of their belief that Bateman would flourish with increased opportunities.
“He has always been high on my list and on my charts,” Harbaugh said of Bateman. “He brings a tremendous skill set to it.”
The Ravens are 9-0 in games in which Rashod Bateman has scored a touchdown this season. (Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)
Only eight receivers had more than Bateman’s nine touchdowns in the regular season. Only five averaged more yards per reception than Bateman’s 16.8. His emergence as a consistent big-play threat and red zone target has been vital in the Ravens becoming more explosive in the passing game this season.
Yet, Bateman insists that with the injuries behind him and a better plan for taking care of his body, thanks partly to following Agholor’s lead, he’s capable of so much more.
“I haven’t even scratched the surface,” Bateman said. “There’s a s— ton of room to grow. I’m looking forward to that. I just feel like I got a reset with everything with my body and I’ve moved forward. Last year was my first year healthy and this year was only my second. But this is my first year being more involved in the offense. No matter how long I’ve been in Baltimore, nobody saw me involved in the offense this much. It’s good, man. Hopefully, I get to continue to show these fans what I’m about, what we’re about.”
Bateman has never had any issues with putting in the work. Simon remembers teaching him how to use the Gophers’ film system. Before long, Bateman would be in the Gophers’ wide receiver room watching film by himself before the coaches even arrived. Motivation has never been a problem for Bateman, either.
“I still remember him right before his true sophomore season in 2019. He was walking off the practice field on one of our last weeks of fall camp and he was pissed off,” Simon recalled. “He said, ‘I feel like I haven’t gotten better. I’ve worked my ass off and quite frankly, I feel like I’m in the same place as last year.’
“I said, ‘Rashod, I love you and I’m sorry for doing this, but I have to laugh.’ I literally burst out laughing. He won receiver of the year in the Big Ten that year, but that was always his mindset. It wasn’t ever good enough. He’s always been very hard on himself.”
That’s part of what made the injuries and early-career struggles so difficult to accept. And those factors were compounded by outside pressures to provide for his family, to live up to his first-round billing, to meet the expectations that the organization and its fans placed on him.
Now, Bateman said he’s glad that he dealt with those things earlier in his career. They provided motivation for him to work harder, to push himself out of what he described as a “slump.” He says he now hears regularly from fans, who apologize to him and admit they were wrong.
To Bateman, though, that’s old news, just like the questions about the chemistry and trust he shares with his quarterback.
“We’re just focused on finishing this the right way,” he said.
(Top photo: Al Bello / Getty Images)
