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Cardinals' Trey McBride reflects on earning respect of NFL's elite at Tight End University: 'Huge honor'

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Looking around the Vanderbilt meeting room at Tight End University on Tuesday, Trey McBride was one of the younger players in the group of 80 tight ends.

But with just three years of service for the Arizona Cardinals since being drafted in the second round out of Colorado State, McBride's impact on his team and the tight end position has been profound.

This offseason, the Cardinals paid him for his contributions, inking a four-year, $76 million extension that made him the highest-paid player at his position in the entire league.

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Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) talks to quarterback Jacoby Brissett (7) during organized team practice at the Arizona Cardinals training center in Tempe on June 3, 2025. (IMAGN)

George Kittle, the San Francisco 49ers star who co-founded TEU alongside Travis Kelce and Greg Olsen, would soon break that number with his own $76.4 million extension. But McBride has quickly earned the right to be in the elite-tight-end conversation throughout the league.

Kittle would agree, as he used several McBride highlights during his meeting time with the tight ends who attended the fifth annual work summit in Nashville to explain the gold standard of playing the position.

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"I think it’s crazy just to be in the same conversation and get recognized by some of these guys that I’ve been growing up watching and modeling my game after as well," McBride told Fox News Digital on Wednesday before the TEU golf outing at Hermitage Golf Course. "It’s so surreal to get the respect and get that praise from those guys. It’s a huge honor."

McBride was actually on a golf course when he found out his extension was agreed upon, and though it was short-lived atop the tight-end salaries throne, he couldn't be happier with the respect the position is getting on the market now. In fact, he wants to see his peers continue to strive for those bigger contracts.

Trey McBride talks to the media after the Arizona Cardinals made him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL during a news conference at the Arizona Cardinals training facility in Tempe on April 4, 2025. (IMAGN)

"Ultimately, we’re trying to elevate the tight end position, grow it as much as possible," he said. "I’m glad George got more, and I hope someone jumps George and everyone can just keep making more and more money. So, it’s a huge position that will continue to grow, and I’m glad I’m able to elevate the bar a little bit."

McBride wouldn't be in the position he is now if it weren't for building a connection with quarterback Kyler Murray, who clearly views him as his safety blanket in the Cardinals' offense.

Last season, McBride built on his second year by hauling in 111 of his 147 targets from Murray for 1,146 yards with two touchdowns over 16 games. And some of those catches were in double, or even triple, coverage.

"It’s a huge honor just to prove to him that I can go and make plays for him, try to make as many plays as I can for him," McBride said. "Most of all, just want to have that trust with him to throw me the ball whether there’s one, two, three, four guys on me. He’s going to give me a chance to go win.

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"That’s a huge relief for me and him as well, so love playing with him and excited to have that connection grow and continue to get better with Kyler."

So, while he's still one of the younger players at TEU, McBride is an example of how to have success at the tight end position, and the financial side of his career already speaks for itself.

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