Cardinals safety Budda Baker signs three-year,  million extension

Cardinals safety Budda Baker signs three-year, $54 million extension

It’s a burgeoning new era in Arizona, but one Cardinals stalwart is here to stay for the long haul.

The team announced Tuesday that Budda Baker has agreed to a three-year extension through the 2027 season that will see him earn $54 million and $30 million guaranteed, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.

At $18 million per season, Baker will make about $4 million more per season than he currently does and would rank him fourth among safeties on an annual basis.

The 28-year-old Baker is a six-time Pro Bowler who is still performing at the top of his game in his eighth season.

Baker was selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, worked his way into the starting lineup as a rookie and never looked back.

This year, Baker — who has appeared in five consecutive Pro Bowls — leads the NFL with 88 solo tackles and 142 combined tackles, just five shy of his career high. He added two sacks and three pass breakups and provided veteran leadership and toughness to the Cardinals defense in a 7-7 season.

In the spring of 2023, Baker’s future in the desert appeared rocky at best. Under the new regime of general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon, Baker requested a trade.

It didn’t materialize, and now Baker is stuck around while Gannon and Ossenfort build the franchise.

Since it now runs through 2027, it’s not out of the question that Baker’s latest contract is his last. With that in mind, Baker could well have a sensational career with the Cardinals.

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