Why Cardinals Star Deserved Historic Extension

On Thursday, the Arizona Cardinals inked star tight end Trey McBride to a major contract extension, locking him up in the desert through 2029.

The deal is for $76 million, averaging $19 million in annual value. It makes McBride the highest-paid TE in NFL history, and slots him in as the second highest-paid Cardinal currently on the roster, unsurprisingly below QB Kyler Murray.

The deal is massive, and had been previously unheard of for a tight end. But McBride's breakout as a star member of Arizona's offense is justification enough for the high dollar amount. Here's why:

McBride racked up 111 receptions in 2024. For context, Murray completed 372 passes. That's close to one-third of Murray's completions. The Cardinals might not have ran a pass-heavy offense in 2024, but McBride was the far-and-away driving force.

McBride was the second-highest graded tight end in the NFL, with an 86.8 PFF grade. He was only second to George Kittle. He had the second-most receptions and receiving yards by any TE, second to Brock Bowers with 112 and 1,194 respectively.

He's more than just a pure pass-catcher, is dominant in space, and provides a breath of fresh air to a Cardinals position group that has been neglected for decades with the exception of Zach Ertz's short stint in Arizona.

At only 25 years old, with an incredible physical skill set and intangibles that are off the charts, it's hard to deny that McBride is a top three tight end in the NFL. An argument can be made that he is the leader of that group, especially considering Kittle's age and injury history.

But it's not just his numbers that make him worth the money. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing's offensive scheme emphasizes the tight end position, focuses on the run, and utilizes plenty of 12 and 13 personnel.

With this extension, the Cardinals aren't just locking up one of their best offensive players, they're making a commitment to one of the foundational pieces of the way they want to play football.

With RB James Conner also locked into an extension, Arizona is making sure the players they are building their offense around will remain in the desert for at least the near future.

That can only lead to success - barring injury of course. But McBride feels like a pretty safe bet to prove GM Monti Ossenfort right on this deal.