AP Photo/Roger Steinman
The Arizona Cardinals secondary may have lost a versatile piece Monday, as free safety Budda Baker suffered a concussion in the NFC Wild Card game against the Los Angeles Rams and was stretchered off the field.
The injury occurred when Baker attempted to tackle Rams running back Cam Akers and his head collided with Akers’ body. Baker was seen raising his right arm as he was taken off of the field. He received well wishes on social media.
During the 2021 campaign, Baker put up 98 total tackles and three interceptions.
Despite already having a strong secondary, the Cardinals jumped at the chance to select Baker with the No. 36 overall pick in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft.
Baker was viewed as a borderline first-round prospect after putting together three consecutive productive seasons at the collegiate level for the Washington Huskies.
He appeared in all 16 games for the Cards as a rookie, making seven starts.
Baker finished his debut season with 58 tackles, seven passes defended, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one sack en route to a Pro Bowl nod. After a solid debut, Baker took a big step forward in 2018 and finished with 102 tackles, two sacks and two fumble recoveries, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
Baker’s quick ascent continued last season, as he recorded 147 tackles, six passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Baker was rewarded with his second career Pro Bowl selection for his efforts.
He followed that up with another big year in 2020, racking up 118 tackles, two interceptions, two sacks and six passes defended en route to his third Pro Bowl and second First Team All-Pro selection.
His status as a do-everything guy worked well for the Cardinals since they have brought in several similar players on the defensive side of the ball in recent years.
Chief among them is Tyrann Mathieu, who has played for the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs since getting released by the Cards.
The year after selecting Mathieu, the Cardinals drafted Deone Bucannon as a safety. They converted him to linebacker, and he developed into one of the team’s most vital players before parting ways with the organization.
Arizona chose Baker in hopes he’d become a movable chess piece on the defense as well, but the team may need to put his progression on hold.
Baker’s potential absence looms large due to a lack of proven options in backup roles. Jalen Thompson will continue as the starting strong safety, while Deionte Thompson, Chris Banjo and rookie seventh-round pick James Wiggins are the likeliest candidates to replace Baker.
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