According to Ian Rapoport, an NFL insider, the Arizona Cardinals have agreed to terms on a Budda Baker contract extension. The new contract for the All-Pro is reported to be valued at $54 million over three years, with $30M guaranteed.
Since entering the league in 2017, Budda Baker has been one of the best safeties in the NFL. He has the accolades to back it up. Baker has been a first-team All-Pro twice (2017 & 2020), a second-team All-Pro once (2021), and has been to the Pro Bowl six times. In 2019, he led the league with 104 solo tackles and was incredibly durable. Since his debut in 2017, Baker has missed just 10 games over the last seven seasons.
Impact of the Budda Baker Contract Extension
The Budda Baker contract extension is huge news for the Arizona Cardinals, as their secondary has struggled at times this season. As of Week 16, Arizona ranks 17th in passing yards allowed per game, at 217. Arizona’s secondary has seen success at safety with Baker and Jalen Thompson but has had trouble with production in other areas of the secondary. Cornerbacks Sean Murphy-Bunting and Starling Thomas V have struggled mightily this season, which was on full display in their 34-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 6 when the Packers threw for over 250 yards.
The best part of this deal for the Arizona Cardinals is that Budda Baker is still relatively young and in the prime of his career. At just 28 years old, this contract locks up Baker through his age 31 season. While the exact terms of the deal haven’t yet been released, the Cardinals had over $100 million in cap space in 2025. Locking Baker up without having to shell out a massive amount of cash is a huge win for the franchise.
Arizona Cardinals Draft Implications
The biggest impact of the new Budda Baker contract will likely be seen in the 2025 NFL Draft where the Cardinals only have five picks. While they do have one pick in each of the first five rounds, the lack of picks was an issue this offseason. Had Budda Baker left, the Cardinals would’ve had a gaping hole at safety, along with their aforementioned issues at the cornerback position. With this deal done, Arizona can now focus on the rest of its defense in the 2025 NFL Draft.
With their defense still an issue this season, it seems likely that the Cardinals will be spending most of their draft capital on the defensive side of the ball. With pressure also being an issue in Arizona, it now seems that the Cardinals will take a defensive lineman and a cornerback in two of their first three draft picks.
While Arizona Cardinals fans will lament the fact that they may struggle to make the playoffs this season, there is no doubt that this Budda Baker contract extension has them set up for success in the near future.
