For a moment this year, Trey McBride was the NFL’s highest-paid tight end.
The Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowler is now aiming to continue ascending as one of the elites at his position. To do so, he’s intent on furthering his chemistry with quarterback Kyler Murray.
He’s found a stellar example to follow in the form of Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes.
“Travis, he would always give us some nuggets on being friendly to the quarterback,” McBride told ESPN’s Laura Rutledge and Dan Orlovsky on Tuesday from the annual Tight End University. “Make sure you and your quarterback are on the same page. He kind of plays it a little bit. Him and Mahomes have a nice connection and I kind of took that and was like, ‘Why can’t Kyler and I have that same connection?’ I feel like that’s what I tried to do. I tried to have that same relationship and that growth with Kyler and just continue to make plays for him and be that security blanket. If he needs somewhere to go with the ball, he always can throw it to me and that’s what I’m trying to do for him.”
There’s few QB-TE combos in the history of the NFL who have found the joint success of the Chiefs’ tandem of terrific. They’ve won three Super Bowls together, gone to a combined 16 Pro Bowls and hooked up for 72 touchdowns, including the playoffs. That tally is third all time for a QB-TE duo, trailing only Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski (105 touchdowns), and Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates (90 TDs).
Murray and McBride, meanwhile, have only gotten together for four touchdowns -- tied for fourth by any Cardinals duo since McBride was drafted in 2022, per NFL Research.
However, McBride’s end zone travails (six in 49 games) have been an aberration in an otherwise outstanding start to his career.
McBride’s produced 192 receptions for 1,971 yards over the past two seasons, earning his first Pro Bowl selection last year after his first 1,000-yard campaign. He’s become Murray’s top target and security blanket, a role he relishes.
It was evident when Murray returned to action after tearing his ACL at the end of the 2022 season. In Murray’s first start of 2023, McBride hauled in eight catches for 131 yards.
“I think it was constantly doing everything that I could do in practice to make sure I was open for him,” McBride said of earning Murray’s confidence. “That first game back from his ACL -- not this last season but two seasons ago. His first game back, we go for 100 and something yards in his first game back. I think just that confidence of getting back and throwing the ball and having that success with me kind of brought the confidence. It’s just going to continue to grow and continue to get better and I’m just loving our relationship.”
McBride’s individual success led to him signing a massive four-year, $76 million extension that made him (briefly) the top-paid TE. Less than a month later, the San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle surpassed him.
Both are with Kelce at the annual Tight End University. Kittle has been to multiple Super Bowls, while Kelce has won multiple Lombardi Trophies.
McBride is looking to follow in their successful footsteps as he enters a pivotal season for a Cardinals squad aiming to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021. The soon-to-be fourth-year tight end believes taking the next step is in the cards as long as Murray is out there.
“It’s so much fun to me because the plays are never over with that guy,” McBride said. “You think he’s going to get tackled and he makes someone miss or does something crazy and it’s so much fun to play with him because the plays are never over. You always have a chance if Kyler has the ball in his hands.”