Trey McBride had already done the hard part before Mike LaFleur ever opened his mouth: he’d made sure nobody needed a sales pitch.
Still, the Cardinals’ new head coach found a way to make the tight end sound even more valuable after Arizona’s Week 1 win. Appearing on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday after collecting his first career victory, LaFleur was asked about McBride and quickly turned the conversation into a rave.
"There's no weakness to this guy," LaFleur said. "He's mentally tough.
He's physically tough. He's savvy.
He's got incredible hands."
He didn’t stop there.
"I've been very fortunate, like we all have, to be around guys that have just great ball skills," LaFleur said. "He's right up there, if not the best I've ever been around."
That’s a heavy statement from a coach who has spent time around some serious offensive talent. LaFleur worked four seasons in San Francisco under Kyle Shanahan and another three with Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams, so he’s seen plenty of elite skill players up close. Even with that background, he put McBride in rare company.
LaFleur also drew a comparison that stands out for all the right reasons: he likened the way McBride creates separation and controls the pace of a play to Luka Doncic. The point, as he explained it, was that McBride doesn’t need to match somebody else’s speed to win.
For Arizona, that’s a pretty useful development. LaFleur is trying to build an offense, settle into a new locker room and steer the Cardinals forward after a miserable 2025 season. One thing he doesn’t have to spend time figuring out is who his most dependable target is.
It’s McBride.
LaFleur praised the tight end’s hands, toughness, ability after the catch, leadership and work ethic. He also tossed in one more detail that should matter to Cardinals fans: McBride is still getting better.
Maybe that’s just the kind of optimism that comes after a Week 1 win. Maybe it’s something more. Either way, LaFleur has already seen enough to talk about McBride like one of the best players he’s ever coached.
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Arizona will have its own rookie centerpiece in Jeremiyah Love, giving the game a rare young-star subplot on both sides of the ball. Both backs made noise in Week 1, and the matchup now has the feel of an early reality check for two teams leaning on defensive strength while trying to see just how much their first-year playmakers can tilt a division game. [Read more 🡒]