The Arizona Cardinals have done quite a bit with the offensive side of the ball this offseason. The main new component is head coach Mike LaFleur, the former OC of the Los Angeles Rams.
New receivers, new offensive linemen, new quarterbacks, new tight ends, new long snapper, new running backs, and a new OC.
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The quarterback situation remains unsettled. Will Jacoby Brissett be named the starter again? Veteran Gardner Minshew got plenty
of work in the OTAs and minicamps. Backup Kedon Slovis and third-round draft pick Carson Beck were also at every event the team has offered.
A new head coach and OC mean a new system. Everyone has to not only study a new playbook, but also be shown on the field new terminology and schemes.
Recently, “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast scheduled Cardinals tight end Trey McBride as a show guest. Any Cardinals fan will tell you that McBride is an awesome tight end. It’s really weird how little media attention McBride gets, despite being in the same category of greatness as Travis Kelce and George Kittle.
LINK: BUSSIN’ WITH THE BOYS PODCAST
The show hosts, former NFL players OT Taylor Lewan and LB Will Compton, asked McBride a ton of questions in their show bus, along with their show minions.
A big question he was asked was what his impression is of the new head coach, Mike LaFleur.
“I came to Arizona with an offensive coach in Kliff Kingsbury. That was a big whirlwind for me because it was my rookie year and learning the offense. It was really a college offense with no huddle, signaling everything. Then, getting into Jonathan Gannon, who is a defensive coach. I loved JG. He was an awesome coach. We just didn’t win games, so it’s hard to keep the guy. With Mike, I just like the offensive-minded thing. He’s in every meeting and running the offensive meetings. He’s teaching the receivers and tight ends how to run routes. It’s cool to hear it straight from the head coach exactly what he’s looking for. It’s cool having the head coach in your corner.”
Since Coach LaFleur came from other programs under Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay, has McBride seen any cultural differences so far?
“Yeah, the culture is obviously trying to be built and the foundation. He’s doing a great job of keeping his core guys on board and getting them to believe in what he is doing. His offense is pretty fun. They love the tight end. We’re running the same offense but have three tight ends on the field. I think we’ll be pretty successful on offense.”
McBride was asked about the incoming rookie class.
“I sit next to Jeremiyah (Love). He’s very quiet. Hardly talks at all. That dude’s a f***ing stud. Seriously. The few practices we had together, his route running, and his ability to make plays are pretty cool. I’m excited to have him on our side for sure.”
But the rookie McBride is most excited about is their third-round draft pick, QB Carson Beck from the University of Miami.
“Carson’s a stud. He’s kind of the same way. He’s pretty quiet, believe it or not. He’s just chill. He wants to do everything the right way right now. He’s huge. He looks like a tight end. I’m like s**t, bigger than me, you know? But, no, he’s a stud. He throws the ball really well. I think he has a chance to be a really good player in this league. I don’t know about Week 1 unless something crazy happens, but he definitely has a chance to be a guy for sure.”
McBride was asked about his time with the Cardinals.
“When I first got to the Cardinals, everything was spinning so fast. You’re just trying to gather information. You’re trying to figure out your way, and now I’m going into my fifth year, and now I’m the guy everyone’s kind of asking for questions. ‘How do you recover? How do work?’ I still like I’m young. It still feels like I just got there, but I’m one of the oldest guys there, except for Bubba (Baker) and one other guy there. There is a lot of turnover with the third coaching staff already, and every year is kind of trying to figure it out on your own. It’s cool that I can be the cornerstone.”
He was queried about how he has been so durable during his tenure with Arizona and what it takes to recover each week from the various dings and twists that he has been known to play with.
“At the facility, I’m going to cold plunge, I’m going in the hot tub, I’m going to do whatever you do there. But when I get home, I do a lot more of the recovery stuff. Rolling out, getting stretched, massages, things like that. I think a lot of people don’t realize that I can get as much as I want at the facility, but you still have to do a little bit more when you get home. It doesn’t just stop when you leave the facility. You have to keep the process going. It’s not like ‘the day is over.’”
In April of 2025, McBride signed a four-year contract extension with the Cardinals worth $76 million with $43 million guaranteed, making him, at the time of the signing, the highest-paid tight end in NFL history. Did it ever enter his mind to want to go to another team that had a shot at not only a playoff berth, but could somehow play in the Super Bowl?
“That is what you think of, but when the opportunity presented itself to stay with Arizona and sign the record-breaking deal, it was pretty cool to do. I was all for it. I love Arizona. There’s nothing about the place that I hate. When I was working out before the draft, I trained in Arizona. Obviously wish we could win more games. It’s a special place. I love being there, and hopefully we will turn it around.”
And his favorite spot to grab a good sandwich and a brew?
“I live in Arcadia. I don’t really go out much. There are a lot of good spots. I like Zips right there by Fashion Square. It’s a grimy little spot, a hole in the wall. It’s a great sports bar. I got wings and burgers. They have amazing golden wings. It’s really good with a beer.”
What is it like being in the NFC West, where every team but his is an excellent club?
“It’s a tough division. The Rams are the most terrifying team. Seattle’s defense. And then the Niners are good with Fred Warner. Every week, we have a tough matchup. We were close in a lot of games last year. We just got to make a few more plays and score a few more touchdowns. Now, you see the Myles Garrett trade, and now I have to chip more times than I wanted. We’re going to have to slow his ass down. We’ve got our hands full.”
McBride is such a great player, teammate, and represents the Cardinals fanbase. He is as loyal a person as you will ever meet. He accepted a college scholarship at Colorado State, which they offered him while he was in the seventh grade. He never questioned where he would play college football because that program believed in him early on. Despite not winning there and having bigger NIL opportunities, he never considered the transfer portal.
The huge extension he signed last year, to McBride, means he is an Arizona Cardinal for life. For as long as they want him. His attitude is to let’s build a championship team right here in the desert. No matter the history of the franchise or how few titles the team has. Get it done with this new coaching staff, these players, and this Cardinals fanbase.
That’s what McBride believes in.
