You know what they say, “too much is given, much is expected.” This past April, wide receiver Rashod Bateman was handed a two-year contract extension to earn a base value of $15.25M over the next three seasons.
With potential add-ons, 2026 could see him earn as much as $16.75M. A pay grade like that comes with big-time production expectations.
Head Coach John Harbaugh believes that Bateman, who reportedly had an excellent day of practice on Monday, will live up to those expectations and then some.
“Rashod’s been working to make plays — To see him come out and make those catches, those are great catches,” Harbaugh said of all the highlight reel catches made in the rain today.
“Traffic catches, one catch he plucked off the ground there. I was excited; everybody was fired up about it. That’s what we expect from Rashod Bateman.
“He’s expected to be a top receiver in the league for us. That’s what we’re planning on.”
You can see the video of Harbaugh’s quote below.
Harbs on @R_bateman2‘s performance at practice pic.twitter.com/tJzNjd5VaR
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 22, 2024
Harbaugh is setting the bar very high for Bateman, especially considering how much the 2021 first-round pick has underachieved thus far.
Of course, setting a very high bar seems to be a theme for Harbaugh in this training camp. Yesterday, he literally said he’s had a vision that Lamar Jackson will become the greatest quarterback of all time.