Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride cherishes his rise from backup to record-setter after his $76 million deal keeps him signed through 2029. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
TEMPE – Every kid dreams of calling their parents to share life-changing news. Cardinals tight end Trey McBride is no different, as he became the NFL’s highest-paid tight end Thursday.
The Cardinals gave McBride a four-year, $76 million contract, keeping him in Arizona until the end of the 2029 season.
McBride called his family back home to share the life-changing news, but his mom already knew.
When ESPN’s Adam Schefter exists, it’s tough to be first in line.
“I didn’t think it would get leaked as fast as it did, so I thought I had a little bit of time to call my family,” McBride said at the Cardinals’ training facility Friday afternoon. “But unfortunately, it got out before I was able to call them, so my first phone call to my mom, she already knew the news.”
When Arizona drafted McBride out of Colorado State in the 2022 NFL draft with the 55th pick he was the first tight end taken. It took a while for him to find his footing in the league; in his rookie season, he was a backup to Zach Ertz and only recorded 29 catches. This past season, he caught 111 passes for 1,146 yards.
He reminisced about his years in the league so far on Friday.
“It’s been a journey,” McBride said. “There’s no doubt about it. I’m the first tight end taken and hardly played my first year. I got 29 catches, and it was a rocky rookie year. I didn’t play as much as I wanted to, but I kept my head down, and I kept grinding. I kept working hard, and I knew my opportunity would come.”
The work helped him reset the tight end market. He’s making $19 million a year, leapfrogging the previous leader, Kansas City’s Travis Kelce, who makes $17.1 million a year. The Cardinals got in front of the extension race, as others like Kelce, San Francisco’s George Kittle, Minnesota’s T.J. Hokenson and Las Vegas’ Brock Bowers will be looking for extensions soon.
All the emotions were full-fledged at the podium when McBride talked about the extension. He’s a kid from the small town of Fort Morgan, Colorado, and now hearing the words highest-paid tight end in NFL history is a surreal feeling for him.
“It’s just the biggest honor,” McBride said. “It’s so cool. It’s very special. If you had told me I would be the highest-paid (TE), I would have never believed you. So it just comes with so much hard work, so much grit, all the above.”
There was no question about going anywhere else or having talks about the extension being dragged out. McBride wanted to stay, and the Cardinals wanted him back.
McBride mentioned how relieving it was to get the extension done before Organized Team Activities (OTAs) or training camp. He wants to focus on football. With it done, he can continue building up the continuity with the offense from last season.
So far, the offense hasn’t seen many changes in the NFL offseason, and McBride couldn’t stop talking about the excitement of continuing to play with quarterback Kyler Murray for years to come.
“I try to be the best player I can be for him,” McBride said, talking about Murray. “And I try to give him an avenue if he gets in trouble; I can be his guy to go to. And I try to do that. I try to give him as much comfort as I can. He’s a tremendous player, so all I have to do is just get open for him, and he’s going to make it happen. So, I love playing for Kyler. He’s the best athlete I’ve ever seen.”
Murray should also love him because in 139 targets last season (third most amongst tight ends), McBride only had two drops. He’s the definition of a quarterback’s security blanket.
His love doesn’t stop at Murray; he loves everyone in the building.
“So many guys, so many text messages, so many teammates, guys reaching out,” McBride said. “I’m just overwhelmed with support and gratitude and all the above … I love this organization. I want to be here. I want to be a Cardinal, and I want to win here.”
The team came close last season to a playoff berth. At one point, the Cardinals were tied for first in the NFC West but just missed out after a last-season skid. McBride believes the offense is trending in the right direction.
The passing offense ranked 18th in the league regarding yards per game, a margin the team looks to shatter this upcoming season. By returning the same core, the hope is the chemistry next season will be stronger.
In terms of himself, McBride still feels like there is always room for improvement. The 25-year-old believes he’s only scratching the surface of what he can do.
McBride said making the playoffs is an expectation now that a foundation has been built in the locker room. A tide is turning in the desert, and McBride knows who to thank because of it. The same men responsible were significant factors in why he wanted to stay in red and white.
“Everything is just trending in the right direction,” McBride said. “Monti (Ossenfort) and JG (Jonathan Gannon), they’ve done such a good job of building the culture and building things the right way. So just eager, excited, grateful, and just proud to be a Cardinal.”