ARIZONA -- There's no denying the talents of Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, who burst on the scene in 2023 after taking over for the injured Zach Ertz.
By time Ertz was ready to come off injured reserve, McBride had cemented his spot as not only a starter in Arizona's offense, but also a crucial weapon for quarterback Kyler Murray to target on a routine basis.
The Cardinals now approach 2024 with what they believe to be an upgraded offense, and if McBride can take the next step marching into his third season as a pro, Arizona will reach heights they haven't seen in quite some time.
Where does McBride rank among the top tight ends in the NFL? CBS Sports says he's at No. 5 behind Sam LaPorta, Mark Andrews, Travis Kelce and George Kittle.
"After entering the starting lineup for good in Week 8, McBride caught 66 passes for 665 yards and three scores over the final 10 games of the year. That's a full-season pace of 112-1,114-5, by the way. And he didn't even have Kyler Murray for the first two of those games. And of course, Murray was coming back from a serious injury," wrote Jared Dubin.
"Marvin Harrison Jr . is here to take over as the No. 1 receiver, but McBride is going to have a massive role, and given his immense talent, should remain wildly productive in Year 3."
It'll be interesting to see where McBride settles in an offense that now features Harrison and other options, though he's proven far too effective for Murray not to rely on consistently.
McBride says he's more confident approaching this season.
"This is the first time I've came into a room and kind of had that respect that I can play, and it just makes me want to work harder," McBride told reporters earlier this offseason.
"Really brings fuel to me. It's something that I really love to do and I'm super excited for. And now it's just fine tuning and making sure that that the other guys in the room can do the exact same."
The Cardinals report to training camp on July 23.
