Trey McBride was already having fun when the call about his new mega extension came through. However, the day got even better. It had taken a lifetime of work, but the tight end had done enough to win over the Arizona Cardinals.
It appeared to be the 111 receptions for 1,146 yards and two touchdowns in 2024 that won over the franchise, but it took nearly three months to put pen to paper after Arizona’s final regular-season game. McBride recalled what it was like to learn about the extension.
Trey McBride Details His Reaction to Learning About New Mega Deal
Speaking on a May 1 edition of the “Subpar” podcast, Cardinals tight end Trey McBride told the story of finding out about his new deal.
Trey McBride found out about his massive new contract on the golf course 🤯
The NFL Pro Bowl Tight End joined @ColtKnost and @thesleezyman in-studio. Listen now! pic.twitter.com/qQ4xDwolQO
— Subpar (@golf_subpar)
“Well, I knew I had a couple missed calls from my agents, and I was like, ‘Oh man, something’s probably heating up,'” McBride said.
“But I’m just out there with a couple of my teammates playing golf, just enjoying the day, and that kind of all went down. And yeah, I’m out there on the 10th hole … trying to finish out a round after I just found out that I got this big deal done. So it was exciting, but it was fun, too.”
McBride added, “I’m like, ‘When that cart girl comes back around, just get whatever you guys want. I’ll take care of it. You guys go ahead and order anything you guys want, and we’ll have fun,'” he said.
It was a long grind from humble beginnings in the NFL. In his first season, McBride earned just 29 catches for 265 yards. Now, he’s one of the franchise’s tentpole players and has a contract lined up to reflect that.
Details of McBride’s New Deal With Cardinals Changes Tone for 2025
According to ESPN, the Cardinals tight end’s deal was the highest average per year salary in the NFL. George Kittle’s new deal has edged that out, but the contract is still one of the most expensive in NFL history.
As such, the pressure is suddenly on McBride to continue improving and delivering on a level in line with what his first three seasons have teased. He’ll also need to resist any temptation to sit on his laurels, continuing to improve the Cardinals’ already impressive 85.7 Offense+ score in PFSN’s metrics.
Per Spotrac, McBride’s new deal will run through the 2029 season and is worth $76 million over four years with $43 million guaranteed. At the end of the deal, he will be heading into an age-31 season.