Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker isn’t usually the type to stir things up online for no reason. But with training camp less than two weeks away, the five-time Pro Bowler took to X with a message that was short, direct, and impossible to ignore.
“Just want bro to get his s*** done… he is not asking for what you think,” Baker posted. “Bro is asking for below the bare minimum. Let’s just get it done!!!”
Baker didn’t name names, but fans and analysts quickly connected the dots. The player in question appears to be quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who signed a backup deal with Arizona in 2025 that pays him $1.5 million guaranteed for the 2026-27 season, per Over the Cap.
Brissett started 12 games last year and posted solid numbers — 64.9 percent completion rate, 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns. The problem? The team went 1-11 with him under center. That record isn’t entirely his fault. The Cardinals dealt with a banged-up backfield and a defense that struggled to stop anyone. But 1-11 is 1-11, and it makes the front office think twice about handing out a raise.
Baker’s frustration seems to come from a place of personal experience. He requested a trade in 2023 during his own contract dispute, so he gets what Brissett is going through. The difference is that Baker eventually got his money. Brissett is still waiting.
The optics aren’t great for Arizona. Backup Gardner Minshew is set to make $2.89 million guaranteed in 2026 — nearly double what Brissett is getting. If you’re the starter, and your backup is making more than you, that’s going to sting. Brissett has every right to ask for more. The Cardinals also have every right to say no.
If the team decides not to pay him, Minshew becomes a stopgap option while the franchise waits on rookie Carson Beck or a future draft pick. Brissett could also hold out, which would be a distraction for first-year head coach Mike LaFleur. That’s not ideal for a team that’s still trying to figure out its identity.
Training camp opens July 22. Unless something changes before then, at least one key player might not be on the practice field when it starts.
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