GLENDALE – The Arizona Cardinals have already spent big money this offseason to upgrade the roster heading into 2025 and will need to spend more to keep superstar tight end Trey McBride. The 25-year-old is one the premier tight ends in the NFL and enters this season on the final year of his rookie contract, set to earn $5.3 million. Bradley Locker wrote an article about the top 20 NFL players who are due for big extensions, and McBride was one of the top names on the list.
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Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against the San Francisco 49ers in the first half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Locker on the price tag of McBride for the Cardinals:
“McBride can easily be overlooked, but he has rounded into one of the premier tight ends in the NFL, actually pacing the position in PFF’s wins above replacement metric in 2024. His 89.9 PFF receiving grade over the past two seasons ranks behind just Kittle, and his 195 catches and 105 first downs are second to Kelce. The 25-year-old is in line to become one of the three highest-paid tight ends in football, surpassing T.J. Hockenson’s $16.5 million average annual value.”
Dec 28, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) celebrates with quarterback Kyler Murray (1) after catching a 1-yard touchdown pass against the Los Angeles Rams in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
McBride was one of the best tight ends in the league last year, recording 111 catches for 1,146 yards and two touchdowns. His stellar third season earned McBride his first Pro Bowl selection and enters 2025 quarterback Kyler Murray’s top target.
Last season, the Greeley, Colorado native was eighth in the entire NFL in targets with 147 and was only second for tight ends behind Raiders Brock Bowers. McBride has earned a massive contract from the Cardinals, and the franchise would happily pay the price. Arizona has $43.8 million in cap space, so Locker’s estimated contract of $16.5 million would fit perfectly in the team’s salary window.
The Cardinals want to get a deal done quickly, as many teams around the league would jump at the opportunity to throw a massive contract at McBride to take him out of the Valley.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
