Arizona
What Arizona Cardinals’ Budda Baker said about his future with team
Budda Baker hopes to remain with the Arizona Cardinals in the future
Budda Baker, a five-time Pro Bowler, wants to win as an Arizona Cardinal, and said being in the last year of his contract will take care of itself.
Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker on Monday said he hopes to remain with the team in the future as he heads into the final year of his current contract.
He said he will let his agent handle whatever happens with another contract, and will focus on playing good football above everything else. Baker, drafted by the Cardinals in the second round in 2017, signed a four-year extension worth $59 million before the 2020 season, the salary which took effect in 2021.
“Of course, me being here seven years, going into year eight, of course you would love to be in the football team you got drafted to,” Baker said. “I know it’s not the same GM or it’s not the same head coach, but I understand if I can continue to do my job at a high level — this is our fourth coaching staff and I’m still on the team — so it shows what type of character that I have, what type of work ethic I put onto the field. No matter who’s there, who’s coaching, I’m gonna do my job and I’m gonna be that person that other guys can look onto and ask questions to and all that other stuff as well.
“Of course I want to be a Cardinal. But at the end of the day I understand it’s a business … every year changes,” Baker added. “Most importantly, the name of the game is to win. We haven’t really done that much. I really want to win. I really want these fans to be happy and excited and come to the games and have those packed-out houses.”
Baker, 28, is a five-time Pro Bowler who played in a career low 12 games last season. He said he tore a hamstring in practice before the Week 2 game of last season and wound up missing five games before making it through the rest of the season after his return.
Baker said he played last season at about “85 or 90” percent.
“He’s another coach on the field, and in the meeting rooms,” Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said of Baker. “The most value that I see with Budda is … his perspective of ‘Hey, here’s how this has to fit with all five of us or six of us out there. This is what you need to be thinking because this is what this guy is doing. Here’s what I’m doing, here’s what I’m thinking.’”