OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman can break one of the least productive stretches of his career by capitalizing on a big opportunity Sunday.
If Zay Flowers is unable to play due to a hamstring injury, Bateman becomes the wide receiver with the most familiarity with quarterback Lamar Jackson when Baltimore hosts the New Orleans Saints (1 p.m. ET, CBS). Bateman is looking to break out of a rut in which he has gone seven games without recording over 50 yards receiving.
"Our relationship is a great relationship, man," Jackson said. "My guy is actually going to get a lot more targets, I believe, with guys going down just because our offense is so explosive."
Bateman's chance to become a bigger part of the offense comes at an uncertain time. He is still waiting on the NFL to finalize its investigation on his June arrest on family violence charges.
Bateman declined to comment on the matter, saying it's a legal situation. He is subject to discipline under the NFL's personal conduct policy, and the baseline suspension for violations involving family violence is six games.
"Whatever the consequences are, I'll deal with it," Bateman said earlier this month. "But we're still waiting on the league and front office to let us know what's up."
The Ravens are looking for Bateman to step up after injuries hit the Ravens' wide receivers early in Sunday's 41-23 season-opening win at the Colts, when Flowers and rookie third-round pick Ja'Kobi Lane were hurt in the first half and didn't return. Lane was placed on injured reserve after having wrist surgery, and Flowers is day to day after not practicing Wednesday and Thursday.
Flowers is among the players Baltimore can least afford to lose. Since the start of the 2025 season, Flowers has accounted for over 60% of the Baltimore wide receivers' receptions and receiving yards.
Over the last 18 games, Flowers has 91 catches for 1,361 yards. During that same stretch, the other Ravens wide receivers have combined for 55 receptions for 814 yards.
"We all have Zay's back," Bateman said.
A first-round pick in 2021, Bateman had a breakthrough season in 2024, when he recorded 756 yards receiving and nine touchdowns. He then followed it up with his worst season, totaling a career-low 224 yards receiving.
On Sunday, Bateman didn't have a catch for the fourth time in his last 10 games.
"I cannot be worrying about my stats," Bateman said. "I need to be worried about how we can win a Super Bowl. And at the end of the day, no matter if I have zero yards or 100 yards, we finished with a 'W' at the end of the day, I slept good at night because we won rather than lost a game and I had 150 yards."
Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle explained that he was trying to get the ball to Bateman on the first play of the game. On Jackson's bootleg to his left, it was anticipated that Jackson would hit Bateman, who was running an underneath route. But Flowers got open deep for a 49-yard completion.
"He has certainly earned trust with myself [and] the rest of the staff," Doyle said of Bateman. "He has been great, and we have enjoyed being around him. It has been fun to watch the seriousness of his preparation and what he brings to that room from a leadership standpoint."
Ravens coach Jesse Minter praised Bateman for his blocking, which keyed Derrick Henry's 32-yard touchdown run. Minter doesn't believe anyone should read too much into Bateman not having a catch Sunday.
"A lot of [the] time, maybe the play didn't go to him or whatever," Minter said. "But he is blocking downfield, and he is being unselfish. I think the offense will show over time that it could be anybody's big day on any day. So, I am excited about how he played, and I think there are big days ahead for 'Bate.'"
