Budda Baker has been nothing short of stellar for the Arizona Cardinals in 2024. The former Washington Huskies star and second-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft has spent his entire eight-year career with the organization and on Tuesday afternoon, he signed a three-year contract extension with the Cardinals.
The 28-year-old was set to become a free agent for the first time in his career, but according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the six-time Pro Bowl honoree and three-time All Pro signed a three-year, $54 million extension with $30 million guaranteed.
That averages out to $18 million per year, the third-richest deal for a safety in league history.
Baker is well on his way to his fourth All Pro selection thanks to an extremely strong 2024 season, which is a big reason Arizona decided to extend the former Husky star. He leads the league with 88 solo tackles, and is second in total tackles with 142, behind only Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin, who has 144.
He has also added 9 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 3 pass breakups while leading a struggling Cardinals defense. Coming off a 30-17 win over the New England Patriots, Arizona is just one game out of first place in the NFC West and if they’re able to find themselves in the playoffs, Baker should be considered one of the catalysts that propelled them to the postseason for the first time since 2021.