The Baltimore Ravens might have done well enough drafting at wide receiver in 2026 that the biggest albatross contract on the roster could finally be off the books.
Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman, long rumored to be a trade target, might have some actual interest from another team in the 11th hour.
“The Texans have made exploratory trade calls, per league sources,” NFL reporter Aaron Wilson wrote on his official X account on Friday. “Among the potential targets: New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte and Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman. The Texans aren’t expected to have a reunion with former All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who’s now the assistant receivers coach at Georgia Tech. The Texans, ideally, want a bigger receiver should they bring in outside reinforcements, per a league source.”
The Texans are trying to figure out a way to replace the loss of talented young wide receiver Jayden Higgins, who tore his ACL and is out for the season.
Bateman Fell Flat After Signing Massive Contract
If we are looking for a reason or an excuse why Bateman was so bad in 2025, the truth is that answer might not exist.
Sometimes bad is just bad, and the Ravens seem stuck with Bateman in 2026 after signing him to a 3-year, $36.75 million contract extension just 1 year ago.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta seemed to acknowledge as much during a recent interview.
After a breakout season of 45 receptions for 756 yards and 9 touchdowns in 17 games in 2024 — the 1st time in his career Bateman played every regular season game — his follow-up was 19 receptions for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns in 13 games in 2025.
As a team, the Ravens went 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the 1st time since 2021 after entering the season as AFC favorites. Now, the Ravens have a new head coach, Jesse Minter, and a new offensive coordinator in Declan Doyle.
“I’m really, really excited to see how he does this year with Declan in this offense,” DeCosta said during an appearance on Baltimore Sports Radio 105.7-FM The Fan. “Everybody’s excited about him. He’s going to have a lot of opportunities this year. Last year was just kind of a lost season in some ways, but that’s no indication of the type of player we think he is. I love the guy. He’s his own biggest critic in a lot of ways. He’s a playmaker. I expect him to have a big year this year.
Ravens Didn’t Have Realistic Trade Hopes
Until now, there hasn’t been a whisper of a realistic trade package for Bateman right now because of how poorly he played in 2025 combined with how much money he’s making.
The Ravens don’t have a voidable year in Bateman’s contract until 2028. While he only counted $4.548 million against the salary cap in 2025, that number goes up to $6.298 million in 2026 and $10.9 million in 2027.
“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,” ESPN’s Aaron Schatz wrote in June. “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.”
AFC Contender Seeking Trade for Ravens WR: Report