Budda Baker’s long-term future with the Arizona Cardinals has been a major question mark for more than a year given trade speculation and his pending status as an unrestricted free agent.
There is no longer a question.
He is a Cardinal for the foreseeable future.
Baker and the Cardinals agreed to a three-year, $54 million contract extension on Tuesday that includes $30 million in guarantees.
Baker has spent all eight years of his career in Arizona and isn’t only one of the league’s top safeties, but he has also become the backbone of the Cardinals defense and one of the team’s biggest leaders.
He has not produced big turnover numbers this season and hasn’t intercepted a pass since the 2022 season, but he remains a key part of the Cardinals’ rebuild.
Even though the Cardinals’ postseason chances have taken a big hit over the past couple of weeks, their 7-7 record and the fact they are still alive in the playoff race is a big step forward from their 4-13 record during the 2023 season.
With two more wins, they would clinch their first winning season since 2021 and only their second since the 2015 season.
Keeping the 28-year-old Baker is a big investment and certainly improves the short-term outlook for the defense and the team.
