Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride has hit a career high catching passes from quarterback Kyler Murray, leading to a four-year, $76 million contract extension, with $43 million guaranteed inked this past April. Reflecting on his growth, McBride is keen to replicate the connection seen between Kansas City Chiefs’ stars Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes.
Speaking from the annual Tight End University summit, McBride shared insights gained from Kelce. “[Kelce] would always give us some nuggets on being friendly to the quarterback,” McBride explained. “Make sure you and your quarterback are on the same page. … Him and Mahomes have a nice connection, and I kind of took that and was like, ‘Why can’t Kyler and I have that same connection?’ I feel like that’s what I tried to do. I tried to have that same relationship and that growth with Kyler and just continue to make plays for him and be that security blanket.”
Given that Kelce and Mahomes have powered the Chiefs to three Super Bowl trophies, McBride’s ambitions are well-founded. However, some analysts speculate that the Cardinals may consider moving on from Murray if he doesn’t achieve his first playoff win by January 2026.
Adding Marvin Harrison Jr. as the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft seems to have bolstered the McBride-Murray dynamic. Only looking at McBride’s 2024 regular season stats – finishing fourth in the league with 111 receptions, eighth with 147 targets, and 11th with 1,146 receiving yards, plus a couple of touchdown catches – it’s clear their partnership is thriving.
McBride enjoys the unpredictability Murray brings to the game: “It’s so much fun for me because the plays are never over with that guy. You think he’s going to get tackled, and he makes someone miss or does something crazy. It’s so much fun to play with him because the plays are never over. You always have a chance if Kyler has the ball in his hands.”
For Murray, the challenge now is to go beyond exciting plays and deliver consistent results, particularly heading into the crucial 2025 campaign. With betting odds from DraftKings Sportsbook putting the Cardinals as a +130 underdog to make the playoffs, the pressure is on. Murray and McBride will need to channel that Mahomes-Kelce magic to not just entertain, but to win.
