Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman finally had his breakout season in 2024, and one has to wonder if it would have even happened had he left Baltimore. Before signing an extension with the Ravens, Bateman was strongly linked to the Dallas Cowboys.
The fifth-year wideout admitted that the move was once a real possibility, and that he’s glad it never actually materialized.
“I went through a lot of things with the Cowboys and all of that with my contract,” Bateman said to The Athletic. “There was a time when I didn’t know what was going to happen. (The Cowboys talk) were a thing, for sure.
“It was a possibility. I don’t want to deny that.”
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Before last season, Bateman had not lived up to the hype that accompanies a first-round draft pick (the Ravens selected him with the 27th overall pick in the 2021 draft), and there was non-stop conjecture about whether or not he ever would.
The 25-year-old Tifton, GA native says he made it clear to his agent that Baltimore is the only place he wants to be. Once talk of a possible move to Dallas collapsed, Bateman then signed a three-year, $15 million contract extension in April of 2024.
Bateman continued:
“That’s the first thing I told him: I don’t want to go anywhere else.”
Last season, Bateman achieved new career highs in yards (756) and touchdown receptions (9). He finally emerged as a bona fide #2 receiver behind the group’s alpha dog, Zay Flowers.
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On June 5, Bateman signed a three-year contract extension, this time worth $36.75 million, with $20 million guaranteed. His current deal runs until the end of the 2029 season.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Rashod Bateman almost moved to the Dallas Cowboys in the spring of ’24