Arizona Cardinals' Budda Baker is Pro Bowl-bound once again
Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker on Thursday acknowledged the league-wide respect he received in being named to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl.
Baker earned a place on the NFC roster for the sixth time in his career. The seventh-year pro out of Washington is the third player in Cardinals franchise history to receive at least six Pro Bowl nods in his first seven NFL seasons, joining Patrick Peterson (seven) and Ollie Matson (six).
"Definitely a blessing again. You know, each and every week I just try to come into work and do my best and do my job, whatever it is," Baker said. "So, you know, it's definitely cool to see my peers and players around the league and coaches and executives around the league think of me so highly."
Baker is the only safety in the NFL named to the Pro Bowl each of the last five seasons (2019-23). He is also one of eight finalists for the 2023 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. He made the Pro Bowl despite missing five games this season due to injury, and ranks second on the Cardinals with 77 tackles this season (five for loss).
"I've never missed five games in my whole entire career, even in little league, high school, college, never missed five games in a season," Baker said. "So that was definitely something for me, was trying to, of course, get back as fast as I can. But also when I come back, do my job and do it at a very high level."
Baker does not have an interception or fumble recovery this season.
"The splash plays, those plays haven't come. But I know I'm doing my job. My peers around me know, my coaches, and my teammates know, and that's the biggest thing for me," Baker said. "As long as they know, as long as you turn on that film, and you see me doing the right thing each and every week, that's all I care about."
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What Arizona Cardinals star Budda Baker said about making another Pro Bowl
