“We are pleased to announce that we have extended Rashod Bateman’s contract through the 2026 season,” general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement. “Congratulations to ‘Bate’ and his family. This is a good day for the Ravens.”

Bateman, the 27th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, was eligible for a fifth-year option this offseason, which would have cost the Ravens about $13.78 million, according to overthecap.com.

This past year, Bateman appeared in 16 regular-season games and finished fifth on the team with 32 receptions for 367 yards and a touchdown. He also caught four passes for 41 yards in the two playoff games.

Bateman, however, has dealt with various injuries, including hernia surgery that sidelined him for the first six games of his rookie season. The following year, he had foot surgery and was placed on injured reserve after six games.

Bateman was a highly-touted prospect at the Unversity of Minnesota, where he recorded 147 receptions for 2,395 yards and 19 touchdowns — fifth most in school history — in 31 games. He averaged 77.3 receiving yards per game,16.3 yards per catch, and had 10 100-yard receiving.

He has yet to equal that type of production at the NFL level, but the Ravens have confidence in him.

“Rashod Bateman has a great future,” coach John Harbaugh said. “Yes, he runs great routes. He’s developed into a great, great route runner, and I know Lamar [Jackson] wants to get him the ball as much as he can. So, the idea that he didn’t maybe … you’re saying he didn’t get as many passes as you would have liked him to get or whatever. Hey, I agree.

“I want ‘Bate’ to flourish and make a bunch of plays, and he’s going to do that, and I think he’ll be a bigger part of it next year, just by the fact that he was healthy all year this year [and] had a chance to establish himself that way, and he’ll be starting. He’ll be playing all those snaps, and he’ll rise to the occasion.”