Budda Baker
The NFL has officially punished Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker for his hit on Seattle Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba, handing down a $17,389 fine for unnecessary roughness on a defenseless receiver. The play happened in Seattle’s blowout win over Arizona at Lumen Field, when Baker caught Smith-Njigba with a high shot that briefly sent the wideout to the medical tent before he was cleared to come back.
Donnie Druin
Budda Baker was fined $17,389 for this hit on a defenseless player against the Seahawks in Week 10. #AZCardinals #NFL
NFL Hits Budda Baker With Costly Fine After Shot on Seahawks Star
On the league’s weekly discipline report, Baker was listed with a $17,389 fine tied to unnecessary roughness on a defenseless receiver, the standard amount on the NFL’s negotiated fine schedule for this type of violation.
The hit came as Smith-Njigba went up for a pass in the first half of Seattle’s 44–22 win, with Baker arriving and making helmet contact that drew an immediate flag and an even quicker reaction from Seahawks fans in the building. Smith-Njigba stayed down, then headed to the sideline for a concussion check before being cleared to return.
The NFL has emphasized player safety and head-and-neck contact in particular over the last few seasons, and this week’s fines continued that trend. League data shows dozens of players being hit with financial penalties every week for hits on quarterbacks, defenseless receivers and other safety-related infractions.
The Cardinals still lean heavily on Baker as the face of their defense. He signed a three-year, $54 million extension before the end of last season, but his 2025 campaign has been unusually quiet by his standards, with a middling PFF grade and only modest production compared to his All-Pro peak.
What Budda Baker’s Punishment Means for the Seahawks
From Seattle’s perspective, the fine doesn’t change the standings, but it does feel like a small measure of accountability after a legitimately scary moment involving one of the franchise’s most important players.
Smith-Njigba has blossomed into the centerpiece of the Seahawks’ passing game, coming off a Pro Bowl season and early 2025 buzz as one of the league’s most dangerous wideouts. Any hit that sends him to the ground and immediately to the medical tent is going to set off alarm bells across the organization.
The immediate good news for Seattle was that Smith-Njigba passed his checks and returned to the game, continuing to produce despite the shot from Baker. National coverage noted that the injury scare “didn’t slow the player down,” as he kept piling up catches and yards in the win over Arizona.
Seattle’s offense now revolves around quarterback Sam Darnold and Smith-Njigba as a high-volume connection, with the former first-round pick carving up defenses from the slot and outside. Keeping that connection healthy is priority No. 1 for a team that is quietly putting together a contender in the NFC.
The fine sends a message to future opponents as much as it punishes Baker. The Seahawks can’t stop every borderline hit on their receivers, but they can point to the NFL’s discipline as proof that shots to the head and neck on their star wideout are going to draw eyes from the league office.
Seahawks’ Stats, Schedule & Big-Picture Context
The timing of the incident and the punishment matters, too.
Seattle rolled past Arizona in that matchup to move to 7-2, setting up a massive NFC West showdown with the Los Angeles Rams, who also sit near the top of the conference. Protecting a key offensive weapon like Smith-Njigba becomes even more crucial as the stakes get higher and every divisional game feels like it carries playoff implications.
Smith-Njigba’s rise is part of a broader offensive overhaul for the Seahawks. He broke out in 2024, earning a late Pro Bowl nod after topping 100 receptions and 1,100 yards, and he entered 2025 viewed by fantasy and analytical outlets as a legit WR1 with room to grow.
That’s exactly the kind of player the Seahawks can’t afford to lose to a reckless hit.
As the Seahawks move on to the next phase of their schedule, the Baker fine will quickly become a footnote if Smith-Njigba stays on the field and keeps lighting up box scores. Still, in a season where Seattle is trying to protect a budding superstar and chase a division title at the same time, any step the NFL takes to back up player safety — especially when it involves their No. 11 — is going to be noticed in Renton.