Over the past few weeks, the Arizona Cardinals have had multiple changes to their lineup.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!First, All-Pro safety Budda Baker was removed off of injured reserve on Oct. 18 after injuring his hamstring in Week 1 and is now back in action.
Then, quarterback Kyler Murray returned from an ACL injury and started his first game in 11 months on Nov. 12 against the Atlanta Falcons.
Additionally, running back James Conner spent one month on the sidelines with a knee issue, but like Murray, Conner returned versus the Falcons as well.
During the time in which Arizona were without some of their biggest stars, there have been others that stepped up to fill the holes.
For example, running back Emari Demercado took over for Conner and blossomed, yet Demercado is now dealing with a toe injury.
Besides Demercado though, there is one player that is grabbing massive amounts of attention.
In the spotlight, Cardinals tight end Trey McBride has quickly became a fan-favorite over the past few weeks since he grabbed the starting role for Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon’s squad.
However, with tight end Zach Ertz (quad) currently on injured reserve, once he is healthy, who should be the No. 1 TE ofor the Cardinals?
Zach Ertz
At the time of reporting, Ertz has yet to be taken off of injured reserve.
Since Oct. 24, Ertz has been out as he is trying to recover from a quad strain he suffered in a 20-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 22.
This season, Ertz caught 27 passes for 187 yards and recorded a touchdown in seven games this season for Arizona.
Overall, Ertz has spent three years in the valley and played in 28 total contests.
Furthermore, the tight end has 130 receptions for 1167 yards and scored eight touchdowns for the “Red Birds.”
Additionally, this is the second time in two seasons that Ertz has had a substantial injury.
In 2022, Ertz dealt with a knee injury that ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign.
There is no timetable as to how long Ertz will be out for.
For the time being, Ertz’s name may still be first tight end on the team sheet, when healthy, since he has 12 years of experience and is a three-time Pro-Bowler.
Due to his setback, however, Ertz’s job security could be under question sooner than can be thought of.
Trey McBride
Coming into his second season, McBride began on the bench in the first-five games.
Following Ertz being placed on the IR, McBride started the next five and has ran with the opportunity, literally.
He announced himself as a force to be reckoned with when he ran for 95 yards after receiving 10 passes against the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 29.
What greatly improved his stock was when he showed up and showed out for the Cardinals when they faced the Falcons.
McBride grabbed eight receptions for 131 yards including a crucial one for 33 yards with less a minute left.
Trey McBride! pic.twitter.com/OGANynFJuc
— Jonathan Reyes (@InsideherJay) November 13, 2023
That last catch helped the Cardinals to get into the red-zone before setting up kicker Matt Prater for a field goal to win the game, 25-23.
It was also the first time an Arizona tight end had more than 100 yards in a single game in 34 years since Robert Awalt had 105 on, ironically, Nov. 12, 1989.
The Trey McBride hype train is chugging along the tracks as Cardinals fans have been praising how well he has played this season.
I’m pretty sure if Trey McBride had consistent playing time with Kyler as his QB he’d be up there. He’s a stud i was definitely wrong bout him.
— David Garcia Jr ⚾️ (@PhxSportsFan_7) November 13, 2023
McBride is a baller #BirdGang
— Nathan Hildred (@hills90) November 12, 2023
Trey mcbride i love you #BirdGang
— Hector Neño Martinez (@HectorMadrini) November 12, 2023
As of now, McBride will continue to start week in, week out for Arizona until Ertz comes back into the fold.
Once that happens, Gannon will have to make a difficult decision.
Does he go with a rising star like McBride or does he choose the grizzled veteran in Ertz?
Who do you think will start for the Cardinals at tight end once Ertz is removed from injured reserve?
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Alec Cipollini is the lead reporter of the Arizona Coyotes and Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account @AlecCipollini
