NFL Rumors: Cardinals' Budda Baker Requests Trade; Wants to Be Highest-Paid Safety

Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker, a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time first team All-Pro, has asked for a trade, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, who added more context behind the request:

Baker signed a four-year, $59 million extension in 2020. He is the seventh-highest-paid safety in the league by average annual value, per Over the Cap. The total value of his contract ranks ninth overall.

In 15 games last year, Baker amassed 111 tackles (75 solo), seven pass breakups and two interceptions.

Signs of Baker's discontent were evident recently.

Baker also posted a GIF of Michael Jordan from The Last Dance documentary in which the Chicago Bulls legend talked about how he took it personally when Seattle SuperSonics head coach George Karl did not acknowledge him when the two were at a restaurant eating dinner at separate tables during the 1996 NBA Finals.

Kyle Odegard of Seven Star Digital said that Baker's tweet was "very likely" about his discontent with the team.

The Cardinals are entering a new chapter after adding a new general manager (Monti Ossenfort) and head coach (Jonathan Gannon) to a 4-13 team.

It's possible they will decide to trade Baker for assets and pocket their salary-cap savings to add more players. The team also has plenty of holes and an uncertain short-term future with franchise quarterback Kyler Murray recovering from a torn ACL suffered last season.

ESPN's Field Yates noted what Baker's new team would owe him on his current deal:

Baker has received much praise and acknowledgement as a team leader, and he can carry that over wherever he goes if Arizona decides to honor the trade request.

At the same time, Baker would seem like part of the solution for a turnaround in the desert. Although the Cardinals struggled mightily on defense last year (31st in points allowed), letting him go would only create a bigger problem on the back end.

At any rate, the ball is now in the Cardinals' court as one of their franchise players has reportedly requested a deal out of town.