Cardinals’ Trey McBride doesn’t need to score to make an impact (or get paid)

GLENDALE — Still.

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride still hasn’t found the end zone as a pass catcher in 2024.

The “weird stat” still has life for another week after Arizona’s 30-17 win over the New England Patriots.

Yet still McBride remains firmly in Arizona’s plans now and down the line given what he brings to the offense and franchise on a daily basis.

“That’s not the reason he’s going to get paid,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said Sunday when asked if the team was pressing to get McBride a receiving touchdown.

“I don’t know if I should have just said that, but he’s a huge playmaker for us. A lot of the passing game goes through him. The run game, he’s fantastic. … Every play he’s out there, he’s max effort and he’s an impact player. He really is. When the ball goes to him, he makes a bunch of plays.”

Honestly, everyone else is feeling the same way. It’s a down-the-road thought with McBride no eligible to receive a contract restructure after this season ends.

The stat sheet might read “zero” when it comes to receiving touchdowns, but you know where it doesn’t?

In receiving yards (938), receptions (89) and first downs (49), where McBride currently paces all Cardinals by a good amount.

“I continue to say I think he’s the best. He’s got all the intangibles, all the traits, the athletic ability, loves the game, plays hard as hell,” quarterback Kyler Murray said postgame.

“There’s nothing that he doesn’t or can’t do. He’s a mismatch. … He’s a great player. Obviously, getting more confident every week.”

Exactly what makes McBride such a game-changer was on display in Arizona’s win Sunday.

He didn’t score but McBride was a huge piece in Arizona’s third-down success, accounting for three of the team’s 10 conversions out of 15 tries.

And while he was hit with a pair of holding penalties — something he was not thrilled about — McBride still had a role in the Cardinals’ dominant run game that totaled 163 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries.

His nine catches for 87 yards, which helped set a new franchise record for receptions by a Cardinals tight end in a single season (89), didn’t hurt, either.

“I’m really proud of him with his maturation of when things don’t go exactly your way, he sticks with it, stays positive and impacts the game in a positive way,” Gannon said. “That’s what he’s doing.”

So, his NFL record streak of catches without a touchdown be damned, McBride is already having a season for the ages with three games left and no signs of slowing down.

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