Cardinals make Budda Baker highest-paid safety in NFL with four-year, $59 million deal, per report
Budda Baker is only entering his fourth season in the NFL, but on Tuesday the Cardinals’ defensive playmaker just became the highest-paid safety in the league.
Baker agreed to a four-year extension Tuesday that ESPN's Adam Schefter reported is worth $59 million. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport said Baker will receiving $31.1 million in guaranteed salary.
Baker, 24, is coming off his finest season to date, leading all safeties in tackles (147), which ranked fourth in the NFL overall, and helped earn him a starting nod in the Pro Bowl. He started all 16 games and added seven tackles for loss, six passes defensed and six quarterback hits in addition to one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Baker also received first team All-Pro honors.
Baker, who was also named to the Pro Bowl as a special teams player following his rookie season in 2017, was set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2021. He was Arizona’s second-round pick four years ago out of Washington State, the 36th pick overall.
In 46 career games for the Cardinals, Baker has collected 323 tackles (18 for loss) with 14 passes defensed, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and 3.5 sacks.
He has yet to record an interception.