Baird made his Derby County debut in the opening game of the season, in a 0–0 draw against Bolton Wanderers. Baird remained as captain for the first six matches, playing in the right–back and defensive midfielder until he suffered a concussion during a match against Preston North End and missed two matches as a result. After making his first team return against MK Dons on 26 September 2015, Baird was dropped to the substitute bench and played six times between October and December.