Arizona Cardinals’ holiday week might just be ruined irreparably. With the OT loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, the Cardinals now have another major loss to deal with. Joining QB Kyler Murray and CB Byron Murphy in the list of players with season-ending injuries is Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker.
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Baker reportedly suffered a fractured shoulder during the game against the Buccaneers. It is unclear when Baker actually suffered the injury. Mainly because he never came out of the field, nor reported it during the game. He apparently played through the pain, not missing a single snap. In Ian Rapoport’s words, “unbelievable.”
The injury means baker will miss the remaining two games in the regular season, as well as the Pro Bowl week. Although the Cardinals have not placed him on injured reserve just yet, backup options are available if needed. Veteran safety Chris Banjo and Charles Washington could get some running time alongside Jalen Thompson.
Fans shower praises on Budda Baker after playing through shoulder fracture
The NFL community is singing songs about Baker after the news broke on social media. Fans across the aisle commended him for his dedication and his will to not give up, even with such a big injury. Some are just happy that it’s nothing serious. It seems Rapoport’s tweet might have led to a few skipped heartbeats.
#AZCardinals Pro Bowl S Budda Baker, one of the heartbeats of the team and its captain, suffered a fractured shoulder during the loss last night and is out the final two games, per me and @MikeGarafolo. Unbelievably, he did not come out of the game. 😱😱😱
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 26, 2022
— JALEN MVP (@JalenDaRealMVP) December 26, 2022
Love watching Budda. Dude truly puts 110% into the sport and does whatever he can to win. Get better soon @Buddabaker3 better years ahead.
— Anthony lorenson (@Anthonylorenso2) December 26, 2022
@Buddabaker3 gives all his has every practice and game! Thank you for all your effort. Us fans appreciate you tons! @AZCardinals
— Gary B. AZ Sports Fan (@AZSportsDad15) December 26, 2022
i saw “heartbeats” and those emojis at the end
— depressed giants fan (@tatumplswin) December 26, 2022
we don’t deserve budda
— chris (@chrisyurr) December 26, 2022
The fans do. We ride wit budda.
— KB 🏁 (@KevinCBryant2) December 27, 2022
And yet stuck around to take pics & sign autographs afterwards… Incredible. pic.twitter.com/5btlH87WyJ
— D. Snydes (@dsnyders7) December 27, 2022
He’s such a beast. Always plays his heart out. Definitely the best player on the Cards
— D Hernandez (@shoon81) December 26, 2022
Baker is a second-round pick from the 2017 NFL draft and has been with the Cardinals ever since. He is a 5-time Pro-Bowler, but will likely miss this year’s games. As the Cardinals’ lone representative for the games this year, it could upset the fans a bit to not see their star.
The Cardinals are already out of contention for a playoff spot, so missing the next few games should not make a big difference. What is more concerning is the extent of the injury. If this injury fails to heal properly in the off-season, it might have serious implications for next season. The Cardinals are already thin in the defensive sector, and losing their caption could be a serious morale issue.
The injury also gives the Cardinals to maybe test out their reserves in a game scenario. Even though Baker is the starting safety, injuries can put him out of action next season too, and the Cardinals will want a strong replacement, especially if they’re fighting for a playoff spot next year. Though, fans will more likely than not want to see Baker play out the entire season without injuries. Look out for updates on his injury.
