While their team is very talented, there’s no shortage of questions surrounding the Baltimore Ravens in 2026. From the new coaching staff to the center void left by Tyler Linderbaum, this year is going to be filled with trials and tribulations. That remains the case for the team’s wide receiver room.
Once again, the Ravens are entering the year with questionable depth at wideout. Zay Flowers will dominate, but how will the chips fall in behind him? Most importantly, can Rashod Bateman rebound?
Bateman could get back to his 2024 ways; however, that season looks like an outlier. And his poor 2025 did him no favors after signing a three-year $36.75 million extension.
Fans have speculated about a Bateman trade talk, and Anthony Palacios of LastWordOnSports seems to agree with that possibility. He listed Bateman as one of his top-five trade targets ahead of training camp.
Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman needs to prove he’s worth the extension in 2026
It sounds like Jesse Minter and the new coaching staff are bought into Bateman being a key piece of the offense in 2026. Despite a wild offseason that included some disgruntled posts on social media, Bateman is still set to be the WR2. That might not end well, though.
It’s obvious that Bateman has struggled in his NFL career. Just two seasons have seen him eclipse 500 receiving yards, and while injuries have been a roadblock at times, it’s also true that the best ability is availability. 2025 was the pinnacle of the 26-year-old’s struggles, which may have played a role in Baltimore’s response to draft two wide receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft.
It’s that young receiver room that has Palacios believing that a Bateman trade could make more sense than people realize. He wrote:
“If Bateman doesn’t improve, and the Ravens feel comfortable sticking with DeVontez Walker and Lane as their primary pass-catchers behind Zay Flowers, don’t be surprised if the team moves on.”
That’s a very fair reaction to the state of the Ravens offense. They need someone to emerge as the Robin to Zay Flowers’ Batman. While it’s a long shot, really any of Devontez Walker, Ja’Kobi Lane, and/or Elijah Sarratt could be that guy. It places a ton of pressure on Bateman ahead of 2026.
At this point, a trade seems incredibly unlikely. Based on the rumblings we’ve heard out of Charm City, it just feels like Bateman will suit up in the purple and black for at least one more season. But that could be it for the former Minnesota standout.
Bateman is under contract through the 2029 campaign. The good news for Baltimore is that if he continues to disappoint, they could wiggle out of the deal with a trade by this time next year. They’d save $8.25 million with a post-June 1 trade or cut in 2027 (albeit, they’d also eat $2.65 million in 2027 dead cap and $5.3 million in 2028 dead cap), per Spotrac.
Of course, the hope is that Bateman gets back to being a legitimate deep threat and reliable red zone target. He hasn’t exactly instilled a lot of confidence across his five-year career, though, so if things go badly again, a trade could eventually take place. Not now, but maybe in the future when one of the Ravens’ young wide receivers hopefully starts to emerge.
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