Ravens' Rashod Bateman opens up about Cowboys trade rumors

Earlier this spring, stories linked Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman with a Dallas Cowboys team that was looking for a No. 2 option at the position. 

Bateman ultimately stayed put and eventually inked a three-year, $36.75M contract extension ahead of the Ravens' summer break.

He recently gave Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta a shout-out for a deal Bateman always hoped to sign during the offseason. 

"That’s the first thing I told him: 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 said about conversations he had with DeCosta, as shared by Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. "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."

As noted by Kevin Patra of the NFL's website, the Ravens first showed they valued Bateman when they signed him to a two-year, $12.87M extension in April 2024. Per ESPN stats, Bateman then finished this past regular season second on the team with nine touchdown catches. He was also third among Ravens players with 45 receptions and second with 756 receiving yards. 

"It’s an honor, honestly, and it’s a blessing," Bateman said about signing a third contract with the club that selected him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. "I’m blessed to be here with this team. I truly didn’t want to go anywhere else, and it shows that the team believes in me and we have the same love and respect for one another. I just feel like there’s a lot of unfinished business here. I want to keep making my mark here and keep investing in this team like they’ve invested in me."

Zrebiec mentioned that Bateman "was ready to embrace the idea of a trade" if the Ravens weren't willing to give the 25-year-old a pay raise. In the end, Dallas sent a 2026 third-round draft pick and a 2027 fifth-round choice to the Pittsburgh Steelers for George Pickens and a 2027 sixth-rounder. Pickens is in the final year of his rookie contract, and there's no indication he will receive an extension to his liking before the upcoming season gets underway. 

"I went through a lot of things with the Cowboys and all of that with my contract," Bateman acknowledged. "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."

Bateman could prove to be worth every penny and more to the Ravens if he helps them make the first Super Bowl appearance of the club's Lamar Jackson era. As of Wednesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Ravens and Buffalo Bills tied as the betting favorites at +350 odds to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LX.