Cardinals Duo Massively Disrespected in Latest Rankings

This Cardinals duo was given a lackluster ranking.

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 | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Arizona Cardinals didn't blow anyone away with their offense last season, that much is understandable.

But to diminish the greatness that is TE Trey McBride, and the strong connection he and franchise QB Kyler Murray had in the 2024 season would be doing just as equal a disservice as it would be to overrate the duo.

In Pro Football Focus' latest QB-WR duo rankings, the Cardinals found themselves lagging behind the majority of the pack. Granted, the top end of the list was mostly filled with elite QBs and their WR1s, while the Cardinals had their star TE instead.

Kyler Murray, Trey McBride Disrespected

There's no delusion that Murray and McBride should be listed next to the likes of Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase, Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans, or Patrick Mahomes and whichever member of the Chiefs happens to be on the field.

But Arizona was placed 17th among QB-pass-catcher duos.

"Murray and McBride are two of the more talented players at their positions in the league. Over the past two seasons, Murray’s 90.0 PFF passing grade when targeting McBride ranks 15th among these pairings, although they have just a 6.3-yard average target depth," wrote PFF's Trevor Sikkema.

"McBride and Murray are a talented duo, but their production doesn’t jump off the page."

Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) celebrates a touchdown with tight end Trey McBride (85) against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It's fair to not necessarily place Murray and McBride among the league's elites, but Sikkema's reasoning is a bit half-baked.

On one hand, Murray struggled as a whole in 2024, and the offensive passing scheme in place clearly emphasized shorter, checkdown-like decisions.

But to posit that the duo "lacked production" is simply inaccurate. In a year where Murray himself saw mostly lackluster numbers, McBride's production was highlighted even more.

Murray threw for just 3,851 yards, but nearly a third of that went to McBride, as the star TE racked up an immense 1,146 yards. Of Murray's 372 completions, 111 went to McBride. That would appear to be a notably strong connection, all other factors considered.

Yes, McBride struggled to find the end zone, with four total touchdowns and just two receiving touchdowns. Yes, Murray was inconsistent.

But as a duo, they might have been the only pairing that had any sort of real chemistry in the 2024 season, and certainly more than some other connections in the league.