Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman has dealt with a myriad of injuries since joining the NFL. Selected No. 27 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Minnesota product has appeared in only 18 games in his first two seasons in the NFL.
That has been a detriment to the Ravens’ passing offense as he was expected to be a major part of their aerial attack. Last season, especially, as Marquise Brown was traded to the Arizona Cardinals and Bateman was expected to take over as the No. 1 option in the offense.
Thus far this year, injuries have once again been the story for Bateman. The Ravens placed him on the physically unable to perform list to start training camp as he was recovering from foot surgery.
Head coach John Harbaugh didn’t give a firm timeline on when Bateman could be back on the field, but a positive update was provided recently. The Ravens’ head coach hinted that a return could be on the horizon.
“I think he’s doing a really good job. I think there’s a chance he’ll be out there pretty soon, but I don’t want to say for sure because that just gets me into trouble. Then you’re gonna say, ‘Well you said that he’d be back by a certain time.’
“It’s like – don’t they say, when you get arrested, ‘Anything you can and will be used against you.’ I feel it’s similar in this press conference sometimes,” Harbaugh said in reference to Bateman’s return to the field.
While that doesn’t provide much detail, it is certainly a step in the right direction for Bateman. The sooner he can get out on the field the better, as the Ravens revamped the wide receiver depth chart this offseason.
Nelson Agholor and Odell Beckham Jr. were both signed in free agency to bolster the weapons around Lamar Jackson. With their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Ravens selected Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers as well.
Flowers has been a star at training camp thus far and people have lauded Beckham’s work to get back on the field. Agohlor was a standout during OTAs, which seemingly would put Bateman behind in the pecking order.
The Ravens likely have big plans for him still, but he will have to show that he can stay healthy and produce on the field. If not, he will be passed permanently by his teammates at the position.
