Budda Baker Placed on IR with Hamstring Injury; Cardinals Safety Out at Least 4 Games

The Arizona Cardinals are off to a rough start to the 2023 season, and they had even more bad news on Monday.

The team announced that star safety Budda Baker has been placed on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury, which rules him out for at least the next four games.

Per team reporter Darren Urban, Baker injured his hamstring in Friday's practice, which caused him to be ruled out of Sunday's game against the New York Giants. The presence of the five-time Pro Bowler likely would've helped stop Arizona from blowing leads of 20-0 and 28-7 on their way to a 31-28 loss.

At 0-2, the Cardinals look to be on the verge of a lost season. Baker's absence will not help, as he is one of the most important defensive players on the team. The seven-year veteran has never missed more than two games in a single season.

Baker had requested to be traded from Arizona this offseason after not receiving a long-term deal, but the Cardinals raised his salary for the last two years remaining on his contract. Still, he drew trade interest from around the league, as Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports linked the Philadelphia Eagles to him.

"I've been talking to a bunch of people in Arizona about this for months, and months, and months--I know the Eagles are interested in a safety, but it just seems Budda Baker is off the table," Kerr said on Philadelphia's 97.5 The Fanatic.

The Cardinals have also been working through the absence of quarterback Kyler Murray, who remains out while recovering from a torn ACL.

Things won't get any easier for the Cardinals, as they will host the Dallas Cowboys (2-0) in Week 3.