Cardinals’ Budda Baker Out With Fractured Shoulder, per Report

The five-time Pro Bowl safety had started every game for Arizona this season.

The Cardinals will play out the final two weeks of the season without star Budda Baker after the Pro Bowl safety suffered a season-ending injury against the Buccaneers on Christmas Day.

Baker sustained a fractured shoulder during Arizona’s 19-16 overtime home loss to Tampa Bay, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported Monday. Surprisingly, the sixth-year pro managed to play the entire game and finished the night with nine tackles and a pass deflection in 81 defensive snaps.

There is no reported timeline for Baker’s return to action. Earlier this season, the five-time Pro Bowler displayed remarkable toughness after sustaining a high-ankle sprain in Week 7 that was expected to sideline him multiple weeks. But he ended up not missing a single game.

Monday’s news signals the end of what has been another standout campaign for Baker, who recently earned his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl nod. The former second-round pick’s stardom reached new heights recently, as he was prominently featured throughout the team’s run on HBO’s Hard Knocks in-season series.  

In his 15 starts this season, Baker accumulated 96 tackles, seven passes defended and two interceptions. The Cardinals (4-11) visit the Falcons (5-10) on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.