'Tis the season for merry tidings, especially if you're a six-time Pro Bowler.
Budda Baker and the Cardinals agreed to a three-year extension to keep the safety in Arizona through the 2027 season, the team announced Tuesday.
The Cardinals did not disclose the terms of the deal, but multiple reports state that $30 million is guaranteed through the three years, and it could be worth up to $54 million.
At $18 million per year, Baker earns the third-largest contract for a safety in NFL history. He was scheduled to be a free agent following the 2024-25 campaign.
It's fitting for a two-time All-Pro who's made five consecutive Pro Bowls. Baker has played in 119 games over eight seasons, racking up seven interceptions, six forced fumbles, 9.5 sacks. Over the past eight seasons, he leads all NFL defensive backs with 861 tackles, including 614 solo tackles.
The former second-rounder in 2017 has appeared in all 14 of Arizona's games this season, playing on 100 per cent of the team's defensive snaps in all but four of those contests. His 88 solo tackles this year lead all Cardinals, almost double the second-most of 46 by Kyzir White. And his 142 total tackles are second-most in the NFL.
Baker has been a team captain for each of the last five seasons.
Arizona (7-7) and its newly locked-up star safety return to action on Sunday against the Panthers (3-11) in Carolina.
-- with files from the Associated Press
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