Cardinals Star Budda Baker Addresses Contract Talks

Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker understands it's a business.

Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker (3) during organized team activities at the Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center in Tempe on June 3, 2024. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY

ARIZONA -- The dog days of summer are ahead for the Arizona Cardinals, who continue their voluntary OTA period this week. Next week will see mandatory minicamp ensue before a month-long absence prior to the introduction of training camp, which is expected to be somewhere around late July.

The future is promising yet unclear for Arizona, and the same can be said for star safety Budda Baker - who enters the final year of his contract.

Baker's emerged as the beating heart and soul of the organization quickly after his arrival, but the prospect of him departing via free agency after 2024 looms large - especially after he went public with a trade request last offseason.

Baker told reporters today he wasn't concerned about what lies ahead:

"Me personally, my mindset is the same each and every year. A lot of people think about the money. Some players might think, 'Oh, contract year. I got to do extra. I got to do this.' I treat every single year like a contract year. I love this game. I've played at a high level each and every week because of the work I put in each and every week. For me, I'm an honest believer in just controlling what I can control and do my job. At the end of the day, everything else will take care of itself," he said.

"That's my main goal, of course this year, like it is every year: Continue to do my job at a high level - continue to play high football, elite football - and when the ball comes my way, get it out the sky. When it doesn't, run to the ball. That's what I am. A to Z, run to the ball. Everything else [will] take care of itself. I let my agent handle all that other stuff but when it comes to football, when I step on that football field, you guys will all know. You'll all see exactly what you see each and every year."

Baker - who turned 28 earlier this year- had his deal re-worked last summer prior to the start of training camp to ensure he received some portion of guaranteed money. The Cardinals have yet to strike an extension with Baker, though they've spoken ultra-highly of him through the last two offseasons.

When asked if he was hopeful if he would stay in Arizona, Baker responded with:

"I mean, of course. Me being here seven years going into year eight, of course you would love to be on the football team that you got drafted to. I know it's not the same GM or it's not the same head coach, but I understand if I continue to do my job at a high level - this is our fourth coaching staff and I'm still on the team - so it shows what type of character I am and what type of work ethic I put onto the field," said Baker.

"No matter what, no matter who's there, who's coaching, I'm gonna do my job and I'm gonna be that person to other guys [so they] can look on as well and ask questions too. Of course I want to be a Cardinal but at the end of the day I understand it's a business. ... That's the main thing, keeping that the main thing - help this football team right now. Every year it changes.

"This year, [I will] just continue to work hard. Continue to just get to know my players, get to know my rooks, get to know everybody and just play football at a high level. Most importantly, the name of the game is to win. We haven't really done that much. That's what I really want to do, I really want to win. I really want these fans to be happy and excited to come to the games and have those packed out houses.

"It's definitely something that we're working upon, and we're going to continue to grind and, like I said, let everything else take care of itself."