Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride found himself in some hot water earlier this offseason after taking shots at the team’s fan base — but on Saturday, following a training camp practice session, he tried to soften his stance.
The controversy started during a June appearance on the podcast “Bussin’ with the Boys,” hosted by Will Compton and Taylor Lewan. McBride pointed out that Arizona is largely made up of people who relocated from other states, which he said hurts the Cardinals’ home support.
“Living in Arizona, no one’s from Arizona,” McBride said at the time. “Everyone has kinda moved in from another state, so they’re all fans of their own teams, so now you have the Arizona that sits there and there’s no Arizona fans in Arizona.”
He added: “So, it’s a tough deal. Hopefully, we start winning some games and we can bring some of those fans back.”
Those words apparently didn’t sit well with many, and McBride came back with a very different message on Saturday.
“Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have said that,” he admitted. “It came out wrong, and obviously the fanbase is great. We have a tremendous fanbase. Arizona’s been here, loyal fans to all the sports teams here, and we’re very lucky to have a lot of these guys, and we’re going to have a great season.”
McBride continued: “I love it here in Arizona, and I hope they love me too, but it’s a special place. The fans are great, and I’m excited for this year to give them something to be proud of.”
The 26-year-old tight end re-signed with Arizona in 2025 on a four-year, $76 million deal — the largest contract ever given to a tight end in NFL history. He earned every penny last fall, setting personal bests with 126 catches, 1,239 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns, topping all Cardinals receivers in each category. Those numbers earned him a second consecutive Pro Bowl selection and a first-team All-Pro honor.
Originally selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, McBride has now surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in back-to-back seasons.
