BUDDA BAKER ADDRESSES TRADE TALK BEFORE COWBOYS GAME

Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker said he was focused on playing the Dallas Cowboys when asked about trade talk ahead of the NFL deadline. “I’m going to just focus on playing the Dallas Cowboys at their stadium,” he said. Baker spoke to reporters while wearing a Halloween mask and said he planned to have a good Friday practice. His comments followed questions about whether he could leave Arizona before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.

Baker told ESPN this week that he had not asked the Cardinals for a trade. He also said he had not asked the team to keep him. According to the reported season totals, Baker has made 44 tackles and recorded one interception. The same figures list four pass breakups and 3.5 sacks, with the sack total described as a career best. Baker remains under contract with the Cardinals through 2027.

Baker said he was concentrating on the present when reporters raised his future with Arizona. “I just live in the present,” he said during the exchange. The Cardinals’ next game against Dallas gives Baker an immediate fixture before the trade deadline. Baker has stated his position on requesting a move, while any decision to trade him rests with the Cardinals.