Baltimore Beatdown
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec interviewed Rashod Bateman and the wide receiver revealed trade talks with the Dallas Cowboys were more extensive than originally reported.
After the Ravens’ final minicamp practice this offseason, there was a chance the Ravens were moving on from their 2021 first-round pick, Rashod Bateman.
According to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, Bateman “wondered if he had played his last game as a Raven.”
Instead, he signed a three-year, $36.75 million contract extension, and will remain in Baltimore through 2029.
But prior, to the deal, Bateman was on the trading block and General Manager Eric DeCosta was looking to make a deal. Reports indicated the Dallas Cowboys were interested in Bateman and he stated he was involved.
“I went through a lot of things with the Cowboys and all of that with my contract,” Bateman said to Zrebiec. “There was a time when I didn’t know what was going to happen. (The Cowboys talks) were a thing, for sure. It was a possibility. I don’t want to deny that. But you know, DeCosta, he’s always making magic work, and he made it work. And I’m thankful for that.”
The reason for being shopped was Bateman wanting a new contract. He’d produced a career-season with 46 receptions for 756 yards and nine touchdowns. In the playoffs, he scored touchdowns in both playoff games. The first-round pick had found his stride and after signing a below-market deal partially due to his failure to report to training camp and losing an accrued season, which voided his fifth-year option.
But even with the lows of his first few seasons dealing with injuries, critique, pressure and mounting frustration, Bateman wanted to remain a Raven.
“That’s the first thing I told [DeCosta]: I don’t want to go anywhere else. ‘I know you’ve got a lot of stuff to work through and we’ll figure it out when we figure it out,’” Bateman recalled of their conversation to Zrebiec. “It took time, but it takes time with a lot of people’s contracts. He had a lot of contracts to get done, and maybe more to get done in the future. To be a priority for him in that way is important. He shows he values me.”
And now, it’s all in the rearview mirror for Bateman. He’s healthy, he’s coming off an excellent season and a market-value contract extension has him with the Ravens through 2029.
