When the Baltimore Ravens selected wide receiver Rashod Bateman at No. 27 overall, they made him the first Gophers player selected in the first round since Laurence Maroney in 2006.
Former Gopher Rashod Bateman signs fully guaranteed rookie deal
The Baltimore Ravens selected the wideout at No. 27 overall in the first round and have signed him to four-year, $12.6 million deal.
May 14, 2021 at 5:07PM
Now they have signed Bateman to a four-year contract that is fully guaranteed for $12.6 million with a $6.5 million signing bonus, according to Spotrac.
IFA, a sports agency in Minneapolis which represents Bateman, said it is the first time that the No. 27 pick in the NFL Draft has signed a fully guaranteed contract.
Despite playing only three seasons at Minnesota, Bateman finished as the No. 6 receiver in school history with 147 receptions for 2,395 yards and 19 touchdowns.
He'll join 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson in Baltimore as the Ravens look for a No. 1 receiving option to pair with Jackson's running talent.
Last season the Ravens leading receiver was Marquise Brown with 769 yards, which ranked 42nd in the NFL.
Fully guaranteed contracts are becoming more common in the NFL after the Vikings gave Kirk Cousins the first ever fully guaranteed, multi-year contract for a quarterback in 2018. That deal was worth $84 million for three years.
The Gophers will lose senior setter Melani Shaffmaster, but they don’t expect players to leave via the transfer portal.
