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Cardinals’ offensive leader named Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee

© Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride has been a leader on the field for his team through his exceptional play this season and has set an even better example off the field by using his stardom to better his community.

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McBride was nominated by the Cardinals as the team’s 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year on Thursday.

Every season, one player from all 32 NFL teams is nominated by their respective organization for their contribution to their community that exceeds their standout play on the field. The 32 selectees will be celebrated during Super Bowl week before one is chosen as the national winner.

Arizona’s leading receiver is this year’s Cardinals selection.

Before McBride embarked on his record-breaking season, he spent the offseason in Poland with United States military service members through the NFL USO program. He’s been an advocate for girls flag football, hosting football clinics and flipping the coin in the Cardinals’ historic broadcast of neighboring Hamilton High School (Chandler) and Xavier College Prep’s (Phoenix) high school girls flag football season-opener on Sept. 17. It was the first time any team team aired a high school girls flag football game.

Cardinals owner Mike Bidwell highlighted McBride’s dedication to the youth in a video posted by the team across its social media channels. The star tight end is an active visitor of schools in the Greater Phoenix area, joined nine other players in the “Shop with a Jock” shopping spree on Tuesday and even served meals to families with Bidwell at the Phoenix Rescue Mission on Monday night.

“He’s done so much in the community going back a few years doing camps at home for kids,” Bidwell said in the video. “(McBride’s) focused on youth, but not exclusively youth.”

The Cardinals owner also noted that the NFL looks for someone who is “performing at a high-level” in addition to his communal uplift. There may not be anyone in an Arizona uniform doing that at the rate McBride is this season.

McBride is the teams leader in receptions and receiving yards, hauling in 73 receptions for 708 yards this season. Despite not being to find the end zone yet, he has emerged as Kyler Murray’s go-to target. Rookie first round draft pick Marvin Harrison Jr. follows behind with 41 receptions for 606 yards. McBride posted back-to-back 12-reception games in Week 12 (12 catches for 133 yards in a 16-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks) and Week 13 (12 catches for 96 yards in a 23-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings). He was selected by the Cardinals in the second round as the 55th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s racked up 1,871 yards and 4 touchdowns from 183 catches in his first three seasons.

McBride has the opportunity to join Cardinal legends Kurt Warner (2008) and Larry Fitzgerald (2016) as national Walter Payton Man of the Year recipients. The WPMOTY award was created in 1970 and later renamed in 1999 after late Hall-of-Fame running back Walter Payton for his dedication to helping others. Starting Week 14, McBride and the 31 other nominees will wear a helmet decal, signifying their selection. The 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide will be announced during the NFL Honors on Feb. 6.

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Reporter Jordyn Bennett covers the Arizona Cardinals, Phoenix area sports and sports related topics. You can follow him on his X account, @j_bennett_live

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