TEMPE — Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker says part of him thought he had played his last game for the team before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline passed, Arizona Sports reported.
Baker, in his 10th season with Arizona, said he was golfing when his agent called around the 12th or 13th hole to tell him what was happening. Despite a reported push from the Buffalo Bills, the Cardinals did not trade him or any other defensive player.
“It’s a business at the end of the day,” Baker said. “For me personally, I was uncertain on what was going to happen. But at the end of the day, I talked to (general manager Monti Ossenfort), talked to (head coach Mike LaFleur) and realized what was happening. I’m so happy to be here.”
“Definitely a certain amount of stress not knowing,” he said.
Baker has played 147 games for the Cardinals, 20th in franchise history and in the top 10 since the team moved to Arizona. He has played in one playoff game, after the 2021 season. He carries a $21 million salary cap hit next season, when he will be 31.
“I love being a Cardinal. I love being here. I love our fans,” Baker said, adding that he is looking forward to seeing rookie quarterback Carson Beck’s debut against the Rams on Sunday.
Sources: Arizona Sports. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Dlz28 at English Wikipedia / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
