It took a while, but Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman is showing why the team drafted him in the first round back in 2021.

After dealing with injuries and personal matters over his first three seasons, Bateman has remained on the field throughout this entire season, and he’s showing just what he can do with the right opportunity. He’s already set single-season career-highs in receiving yards and touchdowns, and he’s still improving as the season goes on.

In Sunday’s win over the New York Giants, the former Minnesota star caught three passes for a team-high 80 yards and hauled in two of Lamar Jackson’s five passing touchdowns. The first from 49 yards out came when Jackson scrambled and found a wide-open Bateman, while the second came on a 20-yard dot in the corner of the end zone.

This marked Bateman’s first career game with multiple touchdowns, a fact not lost on the young wideout.

“It definitely feels good,” Bateman said post-game. “I’m blessed and fortunate, obviously, but I’m just going to enjoy this win with the team and go back to the drawing board. We’ve got a tough game coming up.”

Bateman now has 38 receptions for 654 yards and seven touchdowns on the season, more than cementing him as a key piece in the offense. Perhaps most importantly, he’s gained Jackson’s full and unwavering trust.

“‘Bate’ is that guy,” Jackson said. “We call him ‘Batman’ for a reason, and that’s just amazing. It was long overdue, I believe. There have been plenty of times that I felt he should’ve had multiple touchdown games, but things happen in the backfield. We can’t get to him sometimes, but he’s just working. He’s grinding. [He keeps his] head down and is just trying to win.”

The Ravens signed Bateman to a two-year extension worth just under $13 million this offseason. Many found it to be a puzzling move at the time, but he’s showing why the team invested in him.

“It’s definitely a blessing,” Bateman said. “I think I’ve definitely shown myself that I am what I say I am, and hopefully, I’ve shown the Ravens fans, this organization, Coach ‘Harbs’ [head coach John Harbaugh], ‘Monk’ [offensive coordinator Todd Monken] – whoever – that I am a playmaker. And earning Lamar [Jackson’s] trust [and] teammates’ trust, it’s been big.”