Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride is patient about becoming the best at his position in the NFL. The Cardinals’ star had a historic campaign in 2025 that put him in the conversation with famous league veterans.
While the Cardinals misfired this past season, McBride fired on all cylinders, becoming one of the scarce few bright spots on a porous Arizona squad.
Trey McBride Aims Higher Despite Leading NFL Tight Ends in 2025 Stats
McBride turned heads in 2025 with his record-breaking 126 receptions, which toppled the previous tight end record of 116 by the Washington Commanders’ Zach Ertz. McBride quietly became one of the most dominant receiving tight ends in the NFL over the last couple of years.
People took him seriously after his 2024 campaign, which included 1,146 receiving yards. However, he truly became a marquee name this past season with yet another 1,000-yard run, in addition to 11 touchdowns (87.8 PFSN TE Impact).
Leading all tight ends in receptions and yards, McBride was statistically the best at his position in the league.
Nonetheless, when it comes to greatness, he believes he still has a way to go before he measures up to the likes of Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Mark Andrews.
“No, I don’t [think I’m the best tight end in the NFL],” McBride said on the “Ross Tucker” Podcast.
“These guys — Travis, George, Mark Andrews, all these other really good tight ends — they’ve been doing it for a long time. They’ve been doing it for six, seven, eight, nine years now, or whatever it is. So, their body of work is just tremendous.”
“No, I don’t…”
“MAYBE in 4 or 5 years but right now, I don’t feel like I’m there.”
Trey McBride (@mcbtrey) doesn’t think he’s the best tight end in the NFL: pic.twitter.com/ExJ6yJOJs6
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) March 3, 2026
Kelce, Kittle, and Andrews have a combined 30 years of NFL experience. From playoff legacies to Super Bowl rings, they’ve compiled some of the best resumes among modern tight ends.
Given the tight end position’s very physical nature, veteran stars’ longevity particularly stands out in an era when injuries often end careers. That said, McBride still aims to become the greatest with consistency and hard work.
“I think I just gotta keep stacking, keep putting good years on tape, and maybe in four, five years [I might be the best],” he added. “But right now I don’t feel like I’m there.”
With former head coach Jonathan Gannon gone and the offensive-minded Mike LaFleur taking over, it’ll be interesting to see how high McBride could fly. LaFleur was the LA Rams’ offensive coordinator for three seasons, during which they went 32-19 and made the playoffs every year.
