Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride has walked back comments made during an offseason podcast appearance where he claimed the team had a lack of in-state fans, stating in July 2026 that his remarks came out wrong and praising the loyal local fan base.
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride found himself addressing an offseason firestorm after remarks he made on a podcast regarding the team’s local support drew widespread attention. Speaking with reporters, McBride walked back the comments he made weeks prior on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast hosted by Taylor Lewan, where he had asserted that there’s no Arizona fans in Arizona due to the high volume of out-of-state transplants living in the desert. During his June appearance on the podcast around the 1:16:30 mark, McBride explained that because many residents relocated from other states, they retained allegiances to their original home franchises. Living in Arizona, no one's from Arizona. Everyone has kind of 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,
McBride said on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast. Host Taylor Lewan—the former Titans offensive tackle—pointed out that he grew up and went to high school in Arizona, recalling seeing people wearing Cardinals hats around town for the first time in his life during the Kurt Warner-led run to Super Bowl XLIII in February 2008, and then the hats disappeared like “fairy dust” after the Super Bowl was over. Arizona is the 14th-most populous state with 7.5 million residents. Arizona ranked second to last among all NFL teams in total home game attendance during the previous season.
Trey McBride Walks Back Podcast Remarks
Standing before the media on Saturday in Glendale, McBride offered a clear course correction, admitting that his delivery missed the mark and expressing appreciation for the local community that supports the franchise according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN and Tyler Drake of Arizona Sports.
I probably shouldn't have said that,
McBride told reporters on Saturday, via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. “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. We’re going to win games and we’re going to make sure those fans have something proud to cheer for. 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.”
Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals tight end
McBride emphasized his commitment to the franchise and his desire to shift the narrative through on-field success. Fresh off a massive contract extension and a stellar campaign, the tight end is an undoubted pillar and one of the longest-tenured players on the team alongside star safety Budda Baker.
Record-Breaking Production and Contract Negotiations
The friction over fan turnout happened against the backdrop of a difficult stretch for the franchise, which has been to the playoffs once since 2016 and has only reached the postseason once in the last 10 seasons with two playoff wins—both against the Aaron Rodgers-led Packers—since their lone Super Bowl appearance. They are stuck in a division with three Super Bowl contenders. Yet the attendance numbers certainly did not stem from any lack of output by McBride. He earned his first All-Pro selection and set a positional record for single-season catches by bringing in 126 receptions for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns despite a midseason quarterback change in 2025.
That historic production translated into high-stakes business dealings this offseason. McBride revealed on the Bussin’ with the Boys podcast that negotiations on his extension encountered initial hurdles when the team lowballed him, offering around $12 million a year before the two sides landed on a four-year, $76 million deal. Maybe I go somewhere else,
McBride said on Bussin’ with the Boys. Maybe I play my last year and explore my options, and then, finally, they wanted to get it done.
Had McBride hit the open market, there would be a massive amount of interest in him. The Cardinals later upped that offer to $64 million total and $16 million annually. That ended up tempting McBride, but his agent had him hold out for more. I was like, '(Expletive), dude. 64 (million). Oh my god. I could buy so many Zips wings,'
McBride said. I'm like, just everything that's going through my mind, I'm like, 'Dude, let's lock it in.'
That ended up being the right choice for McBride, as the Cardinals raised their price again, eventually making McBride the top-paid tight end in the NFL, even if George Kittle has since surpassed that mark.
Roster Decisions and Looking Ahead to the Season
While McBride has squared away his long-term future in Glendale, the Cardinals continue navigating other roster needs on a roster that needs plenty of work. Winning draws fans, and until that happens, the franchise hopes McBride’s historic season and the upcoming games will give fans something proud to cheer for.
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