The way Baker plays the game serves as a representation of what the coaching staff wants on the field. Baker’s football IQ is coach Jonathan Gannon’s favorite trait, along with Baker’s skillset and fundamentals.
A captain for the fifth season, the six-time Pro Bowler is playing in his contract year, something likely to come up between now and the end of the season. When discussed in the past, the heart and soul of the Cardinals defense has insisted on playing his game and letting his agent handle everything else.
Any time Baker speaks, the team listens. When the players arrived in town before training camp began, Baker was the lone player to address the team, sharing how locked in he feels heading into the season. Two weeks into action, fellow safety Jalen Thompson can sense the commitment.
“With film study and all that, when you know what’s going to happen, it makes the game a lot easier,” Thompson said. “I feel like with his tackling, he knows where the ball is going to go along, and it makes his tackle a lot easier. He can beat the guy to a point, so I feel like that’s one of the biggest things with film study and knowing what the offense is going to do before they do it.”
The Cardinals face the NFC finalist Lions on Sunday, a team that has two good running backs in Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. But Baker and the Cardinals defense held the Rams to 53 yards rushing, and it was noticed.
“He’s one of the top safeties in the league and a guy that I’ve played since college and have a ton of respect for,” Lions quarterback Jared Goff said. “I’ve seen him flying around the field for almost ten years now and he’s a hell of a player and a guy that will be out there that we’ll be aware of.”
Baker would like to leave an imprint on the Lions by the time the game is over as well.
“We love to work and we love to live in the present,” Baker said. “We just love the preparation and that’s what I really like about this team, about this defense. No one ever gets too high, too low. We try to take it one play at a time, good, bad, or indifferent, flush the next play and just continue to play football.
“Being here eight years, it’s definitely exciting and I’m very happy, but just going to continue to grind and take it one day at a time and let everything else take care of itself.”
