Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker (3) reacts after another Los Angeles Rams touchdown in the second half at State Farm Stadium on Dec 7, 2025, in Glendale, Ariz. Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cardinals Drop Massive Budda Baker Update

Originally posted on Arizona Cardinals on SI
By Donnie Druin | Last updated Dec 24, 2025 12:09 PM ET

TEMPE -- The Arizona Cardinals might not have star safety Budda Baker for this week's road test against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Baker, who exited action on Sunday with a concussion, passed protocol and re-entered the game with no issues.

However, head coach Jonathan Gannon gave reporters the following update:

"Today, kind of a bit of news. Budda, in the game, had to come out and get checked for concussion protocol. [He] checked out fine, so we put him back in the game. [He] came in with symptoms, so he's in concussion protocol. He came in with symptoms on Monday, so he's in concussion protocol. Everybody else will see how it kind of goes."

Baker will now progress through the NFL's five-step concussion protocol before he can be cleared to play in Cincinnati.

Baker was just named to his eighth Pro Bowl, which you can read more about here.

Gannon was asked if Baker would be an option to play on Sunday, which the coach referred to NFL protocol.

When asked if "missing symptoms" was common and if the Cardinals were concerned, Gannon said:

"It is common. Cincinnati's guy had same kind of thing go on. I don't see it as a miss. The protocol is the protocol."

The Cardinals have seen both Jalen Thompson and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson miss time due to injuries in recent weeks. If Baker can't go, look for Kitan Crawford or Darren Hall to also get some run in the defensive backfield.

Safe to say, their safety room has been banged-up this season.

That's been an unfortunate yet common theme for Arizona this year, as the Cardinals have been plagued by injuries in 2025.

As a result, Arizona's had to use a bevy of backups and practice squad players

"They know what it means to be on a roster right now. But the challenge is ... just getting acclimated with all the things that we do here," said Gannon.

"Not just the x and o's, but all the other standard operating procedures, as I would call them. But they're vetted pretty heavily for them to walk in the building, to get in this building. So I feel good about all of them, they've all done a good job."