Ex-Husky Budda Baker Gives Cardinals an Ultimatum

The safety wants to be better compensated as franchise resets itself or go elsewhere.

Budda Baker has spoken.

According to multiple news outlets, the Arizona Cardinals safety by way of the University of Washington has requested his NFL employers either trade him or once again make him the highest-paid player at his position across the pro football landscape.

Baker currently is halfway through a four-year, $59 million deal that put him in the rarefied contract air since surpassed and he still desires.

While he finished last season with a shoulder fracture, Baker has been with the Cardinals for six years, five of which have ended with him becoming a Pro Bowl selection.

The Arizona franchise is undergoing a lot of offseason change, having dismissed its coaching staff and potentially letting a number of prominent players move on.

Baker apparently wants to be compensated at levels he deems acceptable if he is to remain part of the team turmoil.

Yet he's always been a trend-setter, going back to his Husky days. He was Chris Petersen's first signature recruit, at the last minute flipping his commitment from Oregon.

As a second-round NFL draft pick, Baker immediately elevated himself as one of the NFL's top players at his position.

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