Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker wants to be traded. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Baker approached the team with a trade request back in February.
Reportedly, the only way Baker would be willing to remain with the franchise is if they give him a new contract that would make him the NFL’s highest-paid safety.
Baker already held the title of the league’s highest-paid safety when he signed a four-year, $59 million extension back in 2020. However, that deal doesn’t have any guaranteed money left in 2023 and 2024, and his current annual salary ranks him outside the Top 5 highest-paid players in his position.
The Washington product has been one of the most consistent players for the Cardinals since being drafted in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He made five Pro Bowls, including four consecutive selections since 2019, and has received All-Pro nods three times. The 27-year-old finished the last season with 111 tackles, seven passes defended, and two interceptions.
Baker’s trade request comes at the worst possible time for the Cardinals. The team has revamped its front office and coaching staff after a disappointing 2022 campaign and is already set to make a number of roster changes. Also, Arizona’s starting quarterback Kyler Murray is recovering from torn ACL and will probably miss the start of the new season.
