Trey McBride's reign as the NFL's highest-paid tight end lasted all of 26 days.
On April 3, the Cardinals tight end signed a four-year, $76 million contract extension.
On April 26, George Kittle of the 49ers inked a four-year, $76.4 million deal that averaged out to $19,100 per year, $100,000 more a season than McBride's pact.
The contracts made the two the only tight ends in the $19 million-per-year club, but McBride is perfectly content to be leapfrogged -- and he's hoping others at their position continue passing him.
"I think it was great that I had the title at one point and that was obviously a huge milestone for me and everything just to be the highest paid at my position at the time, and I thought that was really cool," McBride said Wednesday on Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo. "Obviously, George is much deserving of that and I'm very excited for him.
"I would love for someone to jump him and everyone just keep jumping each other and the tight ends make a ton of money. So that's what I'm pulling for but obviously very excited for George."
While Kittle has been at it for years in San Francisco, with six Pro Bowls and four 1,000-yard receiving seasons under his belt, McBride is relatively new to the top-TE conversation.
As is often customary at his position, he came along slowly as a rookie; McBride caught 29 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown in Year 1. Two seasons ago, he took a substantial leap with 825 yards and three TDs on 81 catches, then truly broke out in 2024 with 111 catches, 1,146 yards and two snags for scores.
It's all been a part of the process, a gradual but conclusive leap into excellence.
"Yeah, the game slows down tremendously," McBride said. "I think that's the biggest part about it is understanding the game, how fast it goes and really knowing what your role is and how to get open, how to do whatever you need to do, and that jump is real."
McBride also doesn't believe he's done growing. He's ready to wipe last year's successes and the big-money contract away and focus on 2025 with a clean slate.
"Obviously gives me some security, but honestly, I feel like the same person," McBride said of his extension. "I have to prove myself again. I feel like everything I did last year doesn't really matter."
On top of McBride attempting to repeat his output, the Cardinals would love if he developed a nose for the end zone.
While the 25-year-old did recover a fumble for six in Week 2, it somehow took until his 98th reception, three quarters into Arizona's 16th game of the season, to log a TD catch last season. He followed it up with another the next week, a hopeful sign of things to come.
In a softer NFC West that recent years, the Cards went 8-9 and maintained a shot at a divisional crown until late in the campaign. It would've been their first since the 2015 season. Arizona instead missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year and eighth such time since its last division title.
McBride nonetheless believes his squad has the pieces to overcome recent history and make a run. The Cardinals offense finished just outside the top 10 in scoring in 2024 and boasts a stellar pass-catching duo of McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. to go along with a certified workhorse in James Conner, all of whom should once again make Kyler Murray's job easier.
The team's defense, seemingly on the ascent, should be buoyed by Calais Campbell returning home as a veteran leader and general manager Monti Ossenfort loading up on talent by using his first five picks of the 2025 draft on that side of the ball.
"I think our team is very strong," McBride said of looking forward to the new season. "We have everything we need to do to be successful, and I think we just stay on the right track, stay healthy and our team can be really, really good."
