Over the past two seasons, Trey McBride has established himself as one of the league’s top young tight ends. He could soon be amongst the highest-paid players at the position as a result. 
As a 2022 draftee, McBride is now eligible for an extension. The former second-rounder found himself behind veteran Zach Ertz as a rookie, totaling 29 receptions. Since then, however, McBride has been a focal point in the Cardinals’ passing attack, receiving 253 targets across the 2023 and ’24 campaigns. With a combined total of 192 receptions, 1,971 yards and five touchdowns during that span, he is in line for a considerable raise.
Indeed, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes the Cardinals hope to extend McBride this offseason. As things stand, the 25-year-old is on track for free agency next offseason, but allowing him to reach the market is obviously a situation the team will look to avoid. A long-term accord will keep McBride in place as a central figure on offense, and an extension will likely bring him near the top of the position’s market.
Three tight ends are currently attached to a deal averaging at least $15MM per year, and another nine have an AAV of $10MM or more. McBride should have little issue joining at least the latter group, and he could look to become one of the top TE earners in the NFL on his next pact. The Colorado State product has comfortably led Arizona in receptions each of the past two years, and that could very well remain the case moving forward. The team’s tight end depth chart includes another recent Day 2 draft investment (2024 third-rounder Tip Reiman), but McBride will be counted on to continue as a consistent playmaker in 2025 and beyond.
The Cardinals are among the league leaders in cap space as the new league year approaches, and they are also on track to have considerable spending power in 2026. Finding the resources for a long-term McBride deal should not be a problem as a result. It will be interesting to see when serious negotiations begin, and how much success team and player have in working out an extension agreement.