Cardinals place Budda Baker on IR, sign former Seahawks safety

Arizona’s best defensive player is gone for at least four games.

Try as they might, the Arizona Cardinals are probably not going to be winning many games this season, and they’ve just lost one of their best players for at least the next four weeks.

Veteran safety Budda Baker has been placed on injured reserve after injuring his hamstring prior to Sunday’s loss to the New York Giants. Baker wasn’t put on IR until after the Giants game, so that will not count towards his return to eligibility. The earlier Baker can be brought back is against the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 22.

This big news set off a cascade of Arizona roster moves, including signing San Francisco 49ers practice squad safety Qwuantrezz Knight to the active roster, and adding former Seahawks safety Joey Blount to the practice squad.

Blount was with the Seahawks as a UDFA rookie in 2022, and was vying for a roster spot in 2023 before suffering a shoulder injury in the preseason finale against the Green Bay Packers. He was waived with an injury designation, and released from IR with a settlement so he could become a free agent and not miss the entire season. With so many safeties at Seattle’s disposal, Blount ended up on the outside looking in, but now he’s got his first new team since being let go by the Seahawks.