The Houston Texans are not shying away from what could be relatively high asking prices in search of a trade partner, including Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman.
Bateman is a former first-round pick.
He has not lived up to that billing. He could still be a serviceable option in a lineup that still includes Pro Bowler Nico Collins. The Texans also still have high hopes for Jaylin Noel and Tank Dell amid injury setbacks.
Insider: Texans Eye Ravens’ Rashod Bateman
GettyThe Texans have had eyes for Rashod Bateman in a potential trade.
KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson reported in a post on X on August 21 that Bateman was “Among the potential targets,” as the Texans have “made exploratory trade calls, per league sources,” which aligns with reporting from the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander.
Bateman, 26, was the 27th overall pick of the 2021 draft.
The former Minnesota Golden Gopher caught 19 passes for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns during the 2025 season.
That was more in line with most of his career, with Bateman’s 45-756-9 line in 2024 as the outlier so far. He is part of a receiving corps with Pro Bowler Zay Flowers and rookies Elijah Surratt and Ja’Kobi Lane.
However, Bateman is far from an ideal fit for the Texans.
“The Texans, ideally, want a bigger receiver should they bring in outside reinforcements, per a league source,” Wilson said in the report.
The Ravens list Bateman at 6-foot-1 and 193 pounds. That is bigger than another rumored trade target, Kayshon Boutte of the New England Patriots. It is not by much, though. Bateman is the same height as former Texans star DeAndre Hopkins, with whom a reunion is not expected.
Texans Still Waiting for Reinforcements
GettyTank Dell’s return could do wonders for the Texans if he is healthy.
What the Texans do could be telling about the respective outlooks of Dell and Noel, who have both practiced during training camp, albeit on a limited basis.
The Texans are still hopeful about getting Dell on the field for a preseason game. They only have the finale against the Carolina Panthers left to make it happen, though. Noel is ramping up from a hamstring injury.
Noel in particular was expected to have a larger role before Higgins’ injury.
If he can deliver on the promise he showed that inspired that belief, the Texans might not be in as bad shape as the reactions to Higgins’ injury may otherwise suggest.
Texans Face Grim Reality Amid Search for Jayden Higgins Replacement
GettyThe loss of Jayden Higgins stings for the Texans.
The Houston Chronicle’s Matt Young explained the Texans’ situation plainly. It was in an article professing the Texans’ confidence in the options they have.
“No matter what the Texans offense looks like this season, there always will be the curiosity of what it could have been had Higgins remained healthy,” Young wrote on August 21. “The Texans have been searching for a reliable No. 2 receiver to team up with Pro Bowler Nico Collins, and the 6-foot-4 Higgins looked like that guy.”
Young continued, “He had just 41 catches for 525 yards and six touchdowns last season, but came on in the second half of his rookie year and was drawing rave reviews throughout training camp before he got injured in Tuesday’s joint practice with the Raiders.”
The Texans cannot abandon their Super Bowl goals because of Higgins’ injury.
The rub is that Higgins is only the most significant injury situation the Texans are navigating. It just further clouds their outlook.
Texans Explored Former Ravens First-Round Draft Pick as Trade Target