Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride continues to show he's not only quarterback-proof, but he's also situation-proof.
In an ugly 31-7 loss where quarterback Jacoby Brissett failed to reach 100 passing yards, it's impressive that McBride somehow still recorded eight receptions for 41 yards and one touchdown.
The touchdown came on a key fourth-and-goal -- a play where the entire stadium anticipated the pass going to McBride, and Seattle's stout secondary still had no answer for his physical tools.
The ability to consistently produce regardless of external circumstances is a trait only the NFL's top superstars are able to accomplish, further confirming McBride's rightful place in this year's Madden 99 club.
Trey McBride makes up for the Cardinals' lack of a WR1
This game had far more negative than positive takeaways, particularly in the second half after Seattle ran away from a 7-7 tie at half. The failed or lack of connection between Brissett and Marvin Harrison Jr. was particularly concerning.
The Cardinals reworked Brissett's contract this offseason and drafted Harrison No. 4 overall in 2024. Given the investment, you'd like them to at least show some connection. Instead, Harrison Jr. followed up a quiet Week 1 with a goose egg in Week 2, failing to bring in the lone target from Brissett.
Again, the good news for Arizona is that they don't necessarily need a clear-cut WR1 to emerge in this offense. McBride is essentially that anyway as the focal point of this pass-catching group. Last year, his 126 receptions impressively ranked second in the league behind only Puka Nacua. If these first two weeks are any indication, expect McBride to rank top ten in both targets and receptions yet again.
That's the bigger picture of McBride being the silver lining to this bad loss. Between McBride, Jeremiyah Love, and others, the Cardinals already have plenty of strong offensive playmakers. That's the ideal situation to succeed for a potential incoming quarterback, especially if they find one in the first round of next year's draft. It also could even make them a more attractive free agency destination (though our Baker Mayfield hopes have been crushed by his extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
While this is another classic Cardinals blowout loss, at least there's a light at the end of the tunnel for this rebuild. We've already seen in two games that Arizona has the infrastructure to become an elite offense, largely thanks to the elite play of tight end Trey McBride.
The Cardinals have the best tight end in all of football, who somehow keeps getting better at 26 years old. That's a scary thought as he continues to grow alongside their young core, especially once they add a legitimate starting quarterback to further utilize that rare tight end skill set in the Valley.
Add us as a preferred source on Google