If Bateman were more like the first three wide receivers — Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, and DeVonta Smith — drafted in 2021, we’d be discussing the structure of a lucrative long-term contract right now while viewing the $14.345 million option for 2025 as a relative bargain in a booming receiver market. If Oweh’s career sack total (13) were closer to those of fellow 2021 first-round picks Jaelan Phillips (22), Kwity Paye (18 1/2), or even Gregory Rousseau (17), there’d be little debating a $13.251 million salary for a fifth season.
In other words, it’s complicated, especially considering the increasing lucrative salaries at these premium positions overall and Baltimore’s projected roster needs for 2025.