The Arizona Cardinals are now 1-0 on the 2026 season, with TE Trey McBride playing an instrumental role in this feat.
The Colorado State alum put together a nine reception showing, with 95 yards and a touchdown to accompany the catches. The All-Pro tight end not only catalyzed a victory, he is also climbing up statistical leaderboards at the position.
McBride is now in a tie with Kellen Winslow Sr. and Antonio Gates for an early-career stat. This is McBride’s 38th career game with at least five receptions inside of his first five seasons in the NFL (Adam Schefter).
Now, McBride only trails Jimmy Graham (46) for the top spot honors in this unique stat. Follow what to expect from the 26-year-old over the rest of the season and more below.
What Season Will Entail for McBride, Cardinals
McBride is only getting better – making defensive preparations for the 2022 second round selection an absolute headache.
The presence of Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. spreads opposing secondaries somewhat thin to begin with. In addition to this, McBride is too proficient of a route runner for defensive coaches to throw linebackers at him in coverage. The 6’4″ tight end is simply a matchup nightmare, and the expectation should be that he continues to climb the five-plus receptions leaderboard this season.
The challenge for McBride (and the Cardinals) comes instantly, with the team facing the Seattle Seahawks in week two. Seattle is continuing a reputation of being a high-pressure defense under Mike Macdonald. They are also towing out a backup quarterback this week (Drew Lock), opening the door for Arizona to compete.
Beyond this, Arizona is slating to face the San Fransisco 49ers and New York Giants over the next three weeks. The climb to earn wins is a steep one, but McBride and co. seem in strong shape to continue competing.
Arizona’s Decision to Draft TE Aging Incredibly Well
Much is still made about Steve Keim’s tenure as the Cardinals’ general manager. This extends to his decision to draft McBride in the second round in 2022. The narrative at the time happened to be that the Cardinals did not need a TE, with Zach Ertz firmly in tow.
This quickly dissipated, as Ertz tore his ACL midseason in 2022. McBride took over as the starting player, never looking back in the process. Now, the Colorado native is the first tight end in NFL history with back-to-back 100 reception seasons. He is clearly a foundational piece of the organization, and one of the best players in the league, point blank.
While Keim is subject to criticism, he did make the right choice in selecting McBride. The best player available model typically yields positive results, and this is no different here. Through all of the mishaps, McBride remains a constant and is going to be a Cardinal for years to come.
McBride and the Cardinals are now seeking to continue to shock the NFL world. This process continues on Sunday against Seattle’s stout defense.
Trey McBride Makes History, Climbs TE Leaderboard in Cardinals Win