The Baltimore Ravens had hoped that 2021 first-round pick Rashod Bateman would step up as a sophomore after they dealt away former No. 1 receiver Marquise brown during the draft this past April.
Unfortunately, that just has not been the case. In six games this season, Bateman has recorded 15 receptions while catching less than 54% of his targets.
The former Minnesota standout has also been hobbled by a foot injury in recent weeks. It cost him two games earlier in the season.
In speaking to the media on Thursday, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh announced that Bateman will now undergo season-ending foot surgery.
This is an absolutely massive blow for the young wide receiver and his team. Baltimore was already thin at wide receiver following the trade of Brown. Lamar Jackson will now have to get water from a rock if he hopes to make this passing offense even marginal moving forward.
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Impact of Rashod Bateman injury on the Baltimore Ravens
Hobbled to injury himself, star tight end Mark Andrews is the Ravens’ leading receiver (42 catches, 488 yards). As for wide receivers on Baltimore’s roster, Devin Duvernay leads that group with 24 catches and 313 yards. He had been Jackson’s WR1 through eight weeks and will have to continue playing that role.
However, it’s all about depth here. Veteran Demarcus Robinson (15 catches) will likely take over WR2 duties for Baltimore. After that, only James Proche (4) and Tylan Wallace (3) have caught passes from the wide receiver spot this season.
Baltimore did sign veteran wide receiver and former Pro Bowler DeSean Jackson to the practice squad last month. He should be active moving forward. With that said, this is a massive blow given that the news came a mere two days following the NFL trade deadline.
- Rashod Bateman stats (2021): 46 receptions, 515 yards, 1 TD, 67.6% catch rate
After a promising rookie season, Bateman now faces a long road to recovery. It’s obviously not what he had envisioned after Baltimore made the Georgia native the 27th overall selection in last year’s NFL Draft.