Arizona Cardinals fans had plenty to cheer about this week when EA Sports dropped the official Madden NFL 27 overall ratings and Trey McBride landed in the 99 Club.
That number puts the tight end among the game’s elite and makes him one of the highest-rated tight ends in the franchise. For Cardinals supporters, it felt like a long-overdue nod to a player who has become one of the few clear bright spots around the organization.
The reaction online came fast, and it was loud. Fans praised McBride for the kind of production that has made the rating easy to defend: consistency, toughness and the ability to show up against top defenses.
“I don’t care about what the haters say, he absolutely deserves this 🫡”
- Arizona Volunteer 🍊 (@V0L4L1FE) July 27, 2026
“WELL DESERVED GOAT @mcbtrey https://t.co/LVl81GCUDX”
- Bass Kane ☯️ (@MBassKane) July 27, 2026
McBride’s climb has been steady since Arizona took him in the second round in 2022. He has grown into one of the NFL’s premier tight ends, and his 2025 season made the case in a big way: 126 receptions, 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns. Those 126 catches also set the NFL record for most receptions by a tight end in a single season.
A 99 overall rating is reserved for the league’s most dominant players, and McBride’s inclusion reflects just how far he has come from promising draft pick to one of the most complete tight ends in football. It also strengthens the idea that Arizona has found a franchise cornerstone at the position for now and for what comes next.
Ratings are subjective, but they still carry weight as a shorthand for national perception. For Cardinals fans, McBride’s 99 serves as a clear sign that the rest of the football world is catching up to what they’ve been watching for the past four seasons.
And with that kind of recognition comes even more pressure to keep climbing. The rating celebrates what McBride has already done, but it also hints at how much more he might still have ahead of him.
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Josh Weinfuss has pointed out how much the WR1 and WR2 labels matter in this scheme, especially with Trey McBride soaking up a big share of the passing game from tight end. The final depth chart is still to come, but the uncertainty around Harrisons standing adds a little edge to camp, because for Arizona this is not just about who starts - it is about who gets treated like the primary option when the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
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The quarterback picture only sharpens the concern, especially after the standoff involving Jacoby Brissett left the team with another layer of uncertainty to sort through. Even with camp opening, Arizona is being viewed as a club stuck trying to survive in the leagues toughest neighborhood, and the early expectation is that simply getting through the year respectably may be a challenge. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Fans Will Read Into Hacketts Early Tone On Jeremiyah Love
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For Cardinals fans, the bigger picture is that Love is walking into a backfield that already has James Conner and Tyler Allgeier, which gives the staff options and gives the rookie no shortage of competition for touches. The first real clues about how quickly hes closing that gap should come in the Hall of Fame Game against the Panthers on Aug. 6, when the Cardinals can start showing whether the depth chart is as open as it sounds. [Read more 🡒]