Baker’s Bounty: Cardinals Safety Extension Comes with…

The numbers are in on the three-year contract extension safety Budda Baker signed with the Arizona Cardinals and as reported the new money totals $54 million.

However, of the reported $30 million guaranteed (it’s actually $29.37 million), only $17.445 million is fully guaranteed at signing. Portions of his 2025 and 2026 salaries are currently guaranteed for injury only and become fully guaranteed if he is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2025 league year (March 16).

The Cardinals also guaranteed his remaining base salary of $2.37 million this year, which is merely a formality because he obviously won’t be released in the final three weeks of the regular season.

Most notable is that there is no guaranteed money in 2027, the final year of the contract. That is consistent with the two-year contract extensions previously signed by running back James Conner, linebacker Zaven Collins and center Hjalte Froholdt where there are no guarantees in 2026, the final years of their contracts.

Baker received a $12.245 million signing bonus, which is prorated over four years at $3.06 million each year, including 2024. That increased his salary-cap charge to $22.086 million this year from the previous amount of $19.025 million.

Here’s how the deal breaks down.

Budda Baker contract details

Salaries

2025: $7 million of which $2.83 million is fully guaranteed at signing. The remaining $4.17 million is guaranteed for injury only at signing and becomes guaranteed on March 16.

2026: $14.415 million of which $7.755 million is currently guaranteed for injury only and also becomes guaranteed on March 15, 2025.

2027: $16.075 million, which is 29.8 percent of the new money in the contract.

Workout and per-game roster bonuses

Each of the final three years includes offseason workout bonuses of $500,000 and per-game roster bonuses of $15,000 for a max total of $255,000.

Roster bonuses

Non-guaranteed bonuses of $1 million in 2026 and 2027 that are due on the fifth day of the league year in March.

Salary cap hits

2024: $22.806 million

2025: $10.816 million

2026: $19.231 million

2027: $20.891 million

If the Cardinals would unexpectedly decide to move on from Baker in 2027, the dead cap hit would be only $3.06 million.