Baltimore Ravens wide receivers Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Ravens Top WRs Have Clear Futures With Franchise

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Anthony Miller | Last updated Mar 1, 2026 2:00 PM ET

There have been some questions surrounding the Baltimore Ravens and their top two wide receivers, Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.

While Flowers is the clear number one receiver of the future despite some financial decisions coming for Baltimore, Bateman has been the subject of trade rumors. ESPN NFL reporter Dan Graziano shared more about what the future looks like for Flowers' contract and Bateman's tenure with the Ravens.

"I got the impression from my conversations that the Ravens plan to pick up the fifth-year option on 2023 first-round pick Zay Flowers, and that will put him in line to earn $27.298 million in 2027 after making $2.664 million in 2026. Rashod Bateman is coming off a down year but is guaranteed $6.5 million this year, and the Ravens seem inclined to give him another shot in the new offense they're installing under new coordinator Declan Doyle."

Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman's future are pretty much in place for 2026

There will be a point where Flowers is going to need a long-term deal with the Ravens, but getting him locked in for the 2027 season is the most important thing right now. Baltimore has other priorities to handle with contract extensions between quarterback Lamar Jackson and center Tyler Linderbaum, so Flowers's contract is at least easy to handle.

Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Since being selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Flowers has been a stud for the team as he has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, including a career-high 1,211 yards in 2025. Flowers has been a Pro Bowl selection in 2024 and 2025.

As for Bateman, last June, he signed a three-year, $36.75 million contract extension with the Ravens after having a career-high 756 yards and nine touchdowns. He followed that up with the worst season of his career, with 19 receptions for 224 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games.

Bateman's contract situation isn't bad in 2026, as he will only have a $6.1 million cap hit, but he'll start to get more expensive over the next three years, rising to $10.9 million in 2027, $12.9 million in 2028, and $14.9 million in 2029.

The important thing is that the Ravens make sure Flowers is secure for the time being, and then spend the next offseason worrying about getting him on a long-term contract extension in the range of $31 million a year. Bateman is in a prove-it year for the Ravens in 2026, and if he can't, there's no doubt he gets booted from the team through a trade.

Baltimore still has work to do at receiver, as they need to add another to replace DeAndre Hopkins in the lineup. The draft is an option, or they could trade for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown. Regardless of who they bring in, the Ravens can have some comfort in knowing that they have Flowers and Bateman in the starting lineup.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Ravens on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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