Where Kyler Murray and Trey McBride can most improve for the Cardinals in 2025

Plus, three areas that can elevate the Cardinals’ passing game

When you look at Trey McBride’s superb production in 2024, it’s hard to imagine that he wouldn’t have been ranked near the top of most TE-related categories.

Of course, we know about Trey McBride’s mysterious lack of TD receptions. His 2 TDs on the season ranked him #18 among NFL TEs in 2024.

But before we address the two other categories that Trey McBride was not amongst the leading TEs, let’s revel in these 2024 TE rankings:

• TE Targets: Trey McBride #2 (147) behind only Brock Bowers.
• TE Receptions: Trey McBride #2 (111) behind only Brock Bowers.
• TE Receiving Yards: Trey McBride #2 (1,146) behind only Brock Bowers.
• TE Average Yards Per Reception: #3 (10.3) behind only George Kittle and Brock Bowers.
• TE PFF Grade: #2 (86.6) behind only George Kittle.

Note: imagine what Trey McBride’s stats might have been had he not missed the Week 4 game at home versus the Washington Commanders.

But here’s one of Trey McBride and Kyler Murray’s other improvement areas:

Did you notice there were 5 TEs in the top 10 highest passer ratings when targeted in 2024?

1. Mark Andrews. —- 3. George Kittle —- 4. Tucker Kraft —- 7. Pat Freiermuth —- 10 Jonnu Smith

Trey McBride’s passing rating when targeted by Kyler Murray was 102.8 in 2024, which is 21.1 points behind the Top 10 (of all receivers).

Today, PFF published this article on Top QB-WR/TE rankings:

Ranking each NFL team’s top QB-WR/TE duo ahead of the 2025 season (pff.com)

Here are their only ranked QB-TE combos.

14. SAN FRANCISCO 49ers: BROCK PURDY & GEORGE KITTLE

Purdy’s 134.5 passer rating when targeting Kittle over the past two seasons ranks first among the quarterback-receiver duos on this list. They also have more than 2,100 yards together during that time. Purdy and Kittle have established an incredible connection, which has stood true in both high- and low-volume situations.

17. ARIZONA CARDINALS: KYLER MURRAY & TREY McBRIDE

Murray and McBride are two of the more talented players at their positions in the league. Over the past two seasons, Murray’s 90.0 PFF passing grade when targeting McBride ranks 15th among these pairings, although they have just a 6.3-yard average target depth.

McBride and Murray are a talented duo, but their production doesn’t jump off the page.

20. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS: GENO SMITH & BROCK BOWERS

Bowers and Smith are a new pairing, which makes this a bit tricky and requires some imagination. Bowers earned the third-highest PFF receiving grade among tight ends last season (88.4), while Smith has posted an 85.8 PFF passing grade over the past two years with 60 big-time throws.

___________________________________________________________________________

Lastly, as PFF points out, Kyler and Trey, with the help of Drew Petzing need to improve Trey McBride’s average target depth —- which is added proof for those of us who are frustrated with the Cardinals’ propensity to throw short passes, especially ones short of the sticks and the goal line in key conversion situations.

Kyler Murray’s average depth of target for all his throws in 2024 was 6.9, which ranked #31 in the NFL, whether the passes were completed or not. The league average is 7.9. Kyler’s bad throw percentage of 12.7% was #7 in the NFL and his “on-target” percentage was 79.1% was #8 best in NFL. These stats are good!

Therefore, seeing as Kyler’s accuracy can be a real strength, it would seem like an excellent time for Kyler to try raise the team’s 6.9 average depth of target into the high 7s and even possibly to where Lamar Jackson is in the mid 8s.

Commentary:

In my opinion, what can make all the difference in the world this season for elevating the Cardinals’ passing game are three things:

1. Take far more downfield shots from play-action (see the Rodgers video —- watch his feet and how he creates added space and time for him throw) —- Kyler CAN do this.
2. This year Kyler has to step up and rip the ball downfield, and avoid, whenever possible, floating passes off his back foot.
3. Run a collection of rub routes (pick plays in the intermediate areas of the field), via short motions from slot into twins and trips, meshes, scissor combos.

Aaron Rodgers Play Action Compilation (youtube.com)

Again, look at how well Rodgers:

1. Turns his back to the defense and sells the handoff fakes.
2. Moves his feet to various launching spots, either over the tackles (waggles and boots) to either side and directly backward to the deep middle of the pocket. His footwork to buy room to throw, to add a second more of time and to create a variety of launching points aids and abets his downfield vision.
3. Steps up and rips the football.

Gotta get back to this, only with fewer throws from the back foot:

Thank you, Andy Kwong!

This is the FORM!

Notice the difference?