Trey McBride’s name showed up in New England Patriots trade chatter this week, and the reason is obvious once New England evaluates its tight end room.
Analyst Graham Wilker of Musket Fire pitched a potential trade sending Arizona Cardinals two-time Pro Bowl tight end McBride and linebacker Mack Wilson to the Patriots for wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, guard Mike Onwenu and New England’s 2027 first-round pick. Wilker was careful to note the odds of Arizona actually moving its best offensive weapon are slim, barring a McBride camp turning sour on the Cardinals.
Slim odds haven’t stopped the idea from making sense on paper. New England already reshaped its receiver room by trading for A.J. Brown, a deal that cost the Patriots their 2028 first-round pick, and the front office has shown no reluctance to chase difference-makers this offseason.
Trey McBride’s Production Fills a Patriots Roster Gap
GettyTight end Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals.
McBride grew up in Fort Morgan, Colorado, where he starred across multiple sports before landing at Colorado State. He left college as a unanimous All-American and winner of the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end, finishing his Rams career with 157 receptions for 2,011 yards, according to Colorado State’s official athletics site. Arizona took him 55th overall in the 2022 draft, and he’s turned into one of the sport’s most productive tight ends since.
He set the position’s single-season reception record with 126 catches last year, breaking Zach Ertz’s mark of 116 from 2018, and became the first tight end with back-to-back 100-catch seasons after hauling in 111 in 2024, according to ESPN’s player database. Two Pro Bowl selections and a first-team All-Pro nod in 2025 resulted from his prolific production.
The 2025 numbers were his best across the board. McBride posted 1,239 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns, nearly doubling his career touchdown total from his first three seasons in a single year, according to Pro-Football-Reference. He’s started 58 of his 66 career games and has never missed a game due to injury, a durability record that should entice the Patriots as they try to bolster their tight end room.
Hunter Henry remains the Patriots’ clear starter, coming off a career-high 768 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025 while playing in a contract year, according to Patriots On SI. But the depth behind him is unproven. Eli Raridon, CJ Dippre and Tanner Arkin have combined for zero regular-season touchdowns, and Julian Hill’s season-ending injury already thinned the room before training camp even opened.
What the Patriots Would Surrender for Trey McBride
GettyHead coach Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots.
The price in Wilker’s proposal is steep by design. Boutte, 24, is likely to see his role shrink with New England adding Brown and Romeo Doubs, while Onwenu, 28, is playing on a reworked deal that suggests the Patriots may not be committed to two top-dollar guards long-term. Attaching a future first-round pick on top of both veterans reflects McBride’s standing as one of the highest-paid players at his position, having signed a four-year extension worth $76 million with $43 million guaranteed.
For Arizona, the return would net a premium draft asset and two players who still have starting-caliber snaps left in them, along with Wilson rejoining a linebacker corps he already knows. Wilson spent time with New England earlier in his career, so the fit wouldn’t require much of a learning curve on that side of the deal.
Patriots Trade Pitch Sends Kayshon Boutte for 2-Time Pro Bowl Tight End