The 24-year-old Baker is coming off his second Pro Bowl year and his first as a safety. 'But, Budda was at the top of our list and we knew that we had to get him extended, and we knew that we wanted him to be a core player here for a long time.' 'That's going to be something we're going to have to work through here in the future, knowing that we have to operate at a certain number,' Keim said. Reports have speculated that the salary-cap floor in 2021 will be $175 million, so the timing was right for Baker's deal, Keim added. Getting Baker's deal done now gives the Cardinals some 'cost certainty' and allows them to start getting a better feel for their financials, especially where cash is committed, Keim said. Keim said Baker's extension 'took so much time' because of uncertainty around next season's salary cap. Mathieu's deal was for five years and worth $62.5 million, but he was released after the 2017 season.īaker is the first second-round pick to receive either an extension or second deal under general manager Steve Keim, who was hired in 2013. Seasonīaker's extension comes four years after the Cardinals gave another star safety, Tyrann Mathieu, a long-term extension. And that's my goals and my plans to do that.' Most Tackles by DB, Past 10 Seasonsīudda Baker had 147 total tackles last season, the fourth most in the NFL and the most by any defensive back in the past decade.

I'm labeled as this player and now I have to show out and continue to show out each and every week. But, for me, I'm just trying to earn what I will make now. 'It was a very cool experience and it's a very cool experience right now. 'It's definitely an exciting thing for me to be labeled, to say that,' Baker said. The Cardinals announced the four-year extension Tuesday. The deal will average $14.75 million per year, but no other financial details were disclosed. The Arizona Cardinals are making two-time Pro Bowl selection Budda Baker the highest-paid safety in NFL history by giving him a four-year extension worth $59 million, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday.īaker was Arizona's second-round pick in 2017, and his rookie contract was set to expire after this season.

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