Will Cardinals’ Trey McBride have a repeat performance in 2026?

When it comes to the Arizona Cardinals’ biggest positional strengths, the tight ends room is right up there at the top.

A lot of that is thanks to Trey McBride, but Tip Reiman and Elijah Higgins bring their own flavor to the position to construct a formidable tandem for opposing defenses.

Arizona added even more depth to the room in Teagan Quitoriano and Kenny Yeboah among the new additions this offseason.

A look at the biggest questions surrounding Arizona’s tight ends room ahead of training camp.

Cardinals tight end questions ahead of training camp

1. Can Trey McBride duplicate his monster 2025 season?

On the very short list of things that went right for the Cardinals in 2025, McBride took the top honor.

Earning his second straight Pro Bowl nod and First-Team All-Pro honors, McBride churned out career highs in receptions (126), yards (1,239) and touchdowns (11).

He led all tight ends in yards, tied the Philadelphia Eagles’ Dallas Goedert for the most touchdowns by a tight end and was second among NFL pass catchers in receptions to only Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua.

McBride set handfuls of NFL and franchise records in the process, including becoming the first tight end to ever record consecutive 100-catch seasons and breaking Cardinals great Jackie Smith’s single-season touchdown mark.

But can he do it again?

McBride has all the talent in the world to put up similar numbers in 2026. But unlike last year’s flawed offensive attack, there’s been a hefty reset from both a coaching and player standpoint.

The tight end is still going to be one of the primary focal points for the Mike LaFleur-led offense. He, however, likely won’t get the benefit of seeing excess targets due to a stagnant run game.

Injuries can also come into play, but Arizona has reinforced that side of the ball in a big way with running backs Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier joining the ranks this offseason.

There are still holes that need to be addressed along the line, but this unit shouldn’t post the second-worst rushing attack in the league like it did last year.

Establishing the run game is key for any successful offense. Balance is big, but doing so is going to cut into targets for McBride and others.

There’s also Michael Wilson coming off his own breakout season and Marvin Harrison Jr. hoping for his in 2026. Love is also going to get his as a pass catcher.

Then there’s the quarterback side of the question.

Jacoby Brissett remains the expected Week 1 starter for the franchise after taking the offense a step forward last year yet is in a stalemate over a new deal.

The biggest benefactor of having Brissett in the lineup was McBride, who did most of his damage in the 12 games the veteran started.

But after the first few weeks of the season, all bets are off as Brissett remaining the starter with rookie Carson Beck needing to find his way into the starting lineup.

Even if Arizona is playing from behind for the majority of the season, McBride’s totals could see a dip as the rookie finds his bearings.

2. Where is Tip Reiman at health-wise?

While McBride gets a lot of the love for his playmaking, don’t forget about Tip Reiman’s importance on the roster.

Dubbed an honorary lineman for his mauler instincts, Reiman can be a cheat code in the run game.

He was sorely missed last year due to a season-ending ankle injury, and his absence was undoubtedly one of the factors working against Arizona’s lackluster ground game in 2025.

Reiman didn’t participate in any on-field work during voluntary organized team activities and mandatory minicamp but was present on the sideline. Shoes were clearly optional for the tight end as he watched barefoot.

LaFleur said during OTAs that Reiman was expected to be ready for camp. If he is, that will be a huge piece for the head coach to implement in his scheme.

And it’s clear LaFleur is chomping at the bit to work Reiman in.

“Another guy that I had a lot of respect for coming out of Illinois. Some of those guys when you get the job, you’re like, ‘Yes, I wanted him coming out of the draft.’ And then you get to inherit them,” LaFleur said in May.

“I can say that easily about Tip because Tip is all of the right stuff in terms of how he approaches it and stuff like that. It’s unfortunate what happened a year ago, but a big piece of where I think we can go.”

3. How much more 13 personnel can we expect to see?

LaFleur is coming from a Los Angeles Rams offense that utilized 13 personnel more than any other team in the league behind a 30.5% usage rate, per SumerSports.

For comparison, the Cardinals ran 13 personnel at a 10.5% rate, which was good enough for the third-highest usage. It was nothing new for the previous regime, with Arizona finishing second (2024) and first (2023) for 13 personnel usage the two seasons prior.

Let’s just get this out of the way now: The Rams have a lot more going for them than the Cardinals.

But when it comes to the tight end situation, that’s one area where Arizona has the clear upper hand.

Compared to last year’s Rams TE grouping of Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Davis Allen and Terrance Ferguson, Arizona’s room led by McBride, Reiman and Elijah Higgins give LaFleur more to work with. Teagan Quitoriano will likely round things out.

The playmaking abilities of McBride and Higgins, who could be in store for more looks this year, paired with the blocking abilities of Reiman and Quitoriano should have LaFleur eyeing more ways to get the big-bodied pass catchers on the field.

And given the team’s decision to lean into the run game, having those extra blockers aren’t going to hurt, especially when there are still question marks along the right side of the offensive line.

Since taking the Arizona job, LaFleur has made it a point to acknowledge Los Angeles’ build-up to 13 personnel over the years. In LaFleur’s first two years in L.A., the Rams were at or near the bottom of the league in usage rate at .09% in 2023 and .29% in 2024.

That shouldn’t be the case in 2026, with 10% as a better starting point.

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