Tag: Budda Baker

Kyler Murray, Budda Baker designated to return, to begin practicing

Kyler Murray and Budda Baker could play as early as this weekend against the Seahawks.

The clock has officially started on the return of quarterback Kyler Murray. The Arizona Cardinals announced that both Murray and safety Budda Baker were designated to return from their reserves and can begin to practice.

Murray is on PUP recovering from his torn ACL suffered last December. Baker is on injured reserve for a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 1.

Both now have a 21-day window in which they may practice with the team and can be activated from their reserve, putting them on the 53-man roster. IF not activated in that 21-day window, they will revert to their respective lists for the remainder of the season.

They both could be activated this week and play when the Cardinals face the Seattle Seahawks on the road.

Baker probably will be activated this week. Murray’s situation is different because he has not yet practiced in the new offense. He could take longer, so we will wait and see.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Cardinals won’t say if Kyler Murray, Budda Baker will get to practice this week

Jonathan Gannon only would say “we’ll see” and “possibly” about any potential moves to designate Murray or Baker to return.

After six games for the Arizona Cardinals, the attention shifts toward a pair of players who cannot yet practice because of their roster status. Quarterback Kyler Murray is on PUP and safety Budda Baker is on injured reserve.

As both have missed at least four games (Baker missed his fourth on Sunday and Murray has not played this season), they are eligible to be designated to return, allowing them to practice, giving them 21 days to make a decision about activating them to the 53-man roster.

Will that happen this week?

The Cardinals won’t say yet.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon was asked about both players.

When an inquiry came about Murray, Gannon said, “We’ll see.”

And Baker? “Possibly,” he said.

Any move to open their practice windows would not likely come until Wednesday when they have their first practice of the week.

Baker recently appeared to be anticipating a return fairly soon, based on a post on social media.

Murray said in one of his own that his comeback was coming “soon.”

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Budda Baker eyes return from IR

Baker is counting down till he can return. He must miss at least one more game.

The Arizona Cardinals lost on Sunday in Week 5 34-20 to the Cincinnati Bengals. Before the game, safety Budda Baker, currently on injured reserve recovering from a hamstring injury, posted on social media about his impending return to the field.

He is close to returning.

He posted how he doesn’t have too much longer in street clothes and that he is “almost there.”

Baker was placed on injured reserve in Week 3 and must miss one more game. He will not be eligible to return in Week 6 to play the Los Angeles Rams on the road.

He could come back in Week 7 for their game on the road against the Seattle Seahawks.

Baker played only in the season opener. He was inactive in Week 2 and has been on IR ever since.

When the Cardinals face the Rams this week, they might also be missing fellow safety Jalen Thompson, who suffered a hamstring injury against the Bengals.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Budda Baker placed on IR with hamstring injury, will return

Baker will be out at least until Week 7.

The Arizona Cardinals will be without one of their most important players for at least the next four weeks. Safety Budda Baker, who suffered a hamstring injury in practice on Friday and missed the 31-28 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday, was placed on injured reserve.

He must miss at least the next four games (at home against the Dallas Cowboys, on the road against the San Francisco 49ers, at home against the Cincinnati Bengals and on the road against the Los Angeles Rams).

Head coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters Monday that Baker did not tear his hamstring that he will play again this season.

“He’s going to miss some time, but he’ll be back,” he said. “We put him on IR today, but he’ll get ready to go here pretty soon and be ready to roll.”

The first game he can possibly return will be in Week 7 when the Cardinals are on the road against the Seattle Seahawks.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Giants’ Isaiah Simmons ready to square off against ex-Cardinals teammates

New York Giants LB Isaiah Simmons and his ex-Arizona Cardinals teammates are ready to go from friends to enemies on Sunday afternoon.

This Sunday, the New York Giants travel to Glendale, Arizona to face the Arizona Cardinals. It’s the first of two games in a five-day span as the Giants visit San Francisco on Thursday night before returning home to East Rutherford.

Their first stop pits linebacker Isaiah Simmons against the team he left less than a month ago.

“Not letting any external factors of like revenge or anything like that come in the way of the game,” Simmons told reporters this week. “(But I’m) not an emotionless person, so I’m sure there will be some emotions flowing through me but nothing that’s going to affect me and make me do anything crazy.”

The Cardinals selected Simmons in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft but traded him to the Giants for a seventh-round pick in August. Replacing him is safety K’Von Wallace, whom the Cardinals picked up off of waivers from the Philadelphia Eagles a week after trading Simmons.

“That’s little bro,” Cardinals safety Budda Baker said. “He’s not really a teammate of ours this week so it won’t be much of anything until after the game. Love ’em, but at the end of the day he’s a Giant and that’s who we are going against. There won’t be many words until after the game.”

Simmons will most definitely have heightened emotions playing against his former team, as do many players who have tense exits with previous teams, but he seems to have the right attitude for now.

The Cards may portray viewing him as an opponent, but they will likely have their own emotions to deal with.

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Budda Baker won’t say whether he’s playing in preseason opener

He told reporters that will ultimately be a decision made by the head coach.

The Arizona Cardinals will play their preseason opener Friday night at home against the Denver Broncos. Head coach Jonathan Gannon would not reveal last week his plan for playing time for starters and veterans.

Sabefty Budda Baker, leading up to the game, doesn’t have any answers either.

“We’re all trying to play, trying to get some time, but it’s all his decision at the end of the day, so we’ll see,” he told reporters after practice on Monday.

When asked about how important it is to get live game reps, Baker deflected a bit.

“Of course it’s very important,” he said, but then pointed out the team’s practice reps. “We practice like how we would want to play in the game so, of course, the practice reps are very good for us and to get the mental reps as well.”

He did note, though, the one thing you can’t simulate in practice.

“There’s nothing like being able to line against not a teammate and being able to hit him,” he said.

The Cardinals kick off against the Broncos at 7 p.m. Arizona time on Friday. We will see if Baker is one of the players who suits up and plays.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Budda Baker, other NFL players discuss what makes Cooper Kupp great

Budda Baker and other NFL players talked about what makes Cooper Kupp great after the Rams WR landed at No. 47 in the Top 100

Cooper Kupp didn’t have the season he wanted or expected in 2022, but it’s not because he struggled whatsoever. It was simply that he missed half the season with an ankle injury, a disappointing follow-up to his historic 2021 campaign.

That shouldn’t discredit Kupp as one of the best receivers in the NFL – and one of the best overall players regardless of position. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop him from dropping 43 spots in the latest Top 100 Players ranking, which is voted on by players throughout the league.

Kupp checked in at No. 47, down from No. 3 last year. One thing remains clear, though: His competitors know what a nightmare he is to defend when healthy.

After Kupp was revealed as the 47th-best player in the league, the NFL released a video of players paying respect to the Rams receiver, including Budda Baker, Marlon Humphrey, Austin Corbett and Ernest Jones.

“The Rams used him in so many different ways that it just made him a matchup nightmare,” Humphrey said. “They never really had him in one spot, so as a defense, we try to figure out, ‘OK, we gotta stop this guy.’ But it’s hard to stop a guy if you don’t know where he’s gonna be.”

Baker gave Kupp credit for his speed and ability to run deep, which he doesn’t often get praised for, being a slot receiver who’s quicker than he is fast.

“He’s a guy who has decisive speed,” Baker said. “He can run deep, he can take a jetsweep to the crib. He can run intermediate routes, shallow. We kind of double-team him a lot, try to get him the ball as (little) as possible.”

Kupp may not have been voted as high as expected on the Top 100 list, but he clearly has the respect of DBs around the league.

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Details for Budda Baker’s raise, restructured contract

The Cardinals guaranteed Baker’s full salary in 2023.

The Arizona Cardinals struck a deal with five-time Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker, adding money to his contract for the final two years of his deal.

Thanks to PHNX’s Howard Balzer, we have the details of the redone deal.

He was previously due $13.1 million in 2023 and $14.2 million in 2024, none of which was guaranteed.

The Cardinals gave him a $300,000 signing bonus, which isn’t much. They guaranteed his 2023 salary, something that was a priority for him.

He can earn up to $200,000 in per-game active roster bonuses.

His 2024 salary of $14.2 million remains non-guaranteed, but he can earn $400,000 in an offseason workout bonus for participating in the voluntary offseason program.

He gets a $500,000 bonus each year for being selected to the Pro Bowl or being named a first-team All-Pro.

There are up to $1.4 million in playing time bonuses.

His cap hit in 2023 will go up as much as $500,000 with the signing bonus and per-game roster bonuses.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Cardinals redid Budda Baker’s contract, giving a raise in 2023, 2024

The Cardinals give him more than $2 million in bonuses and incentives in 2023 and a raise in 2024.

There is apparently a reason why Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker showed up to training camp with a smile on his face. While he did not get traded or a contract extension, the Cardinals did add money to his contract.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Baker gets a raise this year and next year.

He was given a $300,000 signing bonus and had $2.4 million in bonuses and incentives added to 2023 and also got a raise for 2024, the final year of his contract.

The specific details of those incentives and bonuses were not revealed.

It would appear to be a nice compromise on both sides. Baker wanted to feel prioritized in what appears to be a rebuild and the Cardinals did not have to commit big money long-term before they know they are moving in the right direction.

Baker is a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro.

He was named to the NFL Top 100 Players for the fourth straight season.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Budda Baker feels disrespected by Top 100 ranking

The graphic that the NFL released for Baker’s Top 100 selection had the wrong jersey number.

Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker seems to be entering the 2023 season with a huge chip on his shoulder. He was snubbed by some offseason publications ranking top players and top safeties in the league.

He wanted a contract extension and requested a trade from the Cardinals this offseason.

He has been active on social media showing how hungry he is and how disrespected he feels.

He was even voted by NFL players as one of the league’s top 100 players for the fourth consecutive season, coming in at No. 73, and he wasn’t even happy about that.

This image comes from his Instagram story:

The graphic shows him wearing his old No. 32 jersey from three years ago. He now wears No. 3. He wasn’t thrilled and wrote on his story, “So disrespectful they can’t even get my correct jersey #. 3. It’s okay…Just watch.”

Baker is already one of the NFL’s most intense players on the field. Adding a chip on his shoulder to prove he is better than people believe he is could bring big results in 2023.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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