Trey McBride excited for Mike LaFleur's arrival as Cardinals head coach

The tight end is eager to see how the former Rams offensive coordinator can get the team "back on track".

Feb. 4, 2026 at 9:07pm

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Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride is looking forward to working with new head coach Mike LaFleur, the former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator. McBride, coming off a standout 2025 season, believes LaFleur's offensive expertise and tight end-friendly scheme can help get the Cardinals back on track after a disappointing year.

Why it matters

The Cardinals are hoping LaFleur's arrival can help revive their offense and get the team back to the playoffs after a down season. McBride, as one of the team's top playmakers, will be a key part of that effort.

The details

McBride said he hasn't spent much time with LaFleur yet, but has seen the success the Rams had with their tight ends under the new Cardinals coach. He's excited about LaFleur's energy and believes the coach will do a great job of "mixing it up" on offense. The Cardinals have several offensive weapons, including McBride, Elijah Higgins, and Marvin Harrison Jr., that LaFleur can utilize.

  • McBride joined the Cardinals in 2022.

The players

Trey McBride

A tight end for the Arizona Cardinals who is coming off a standout 2025 season with 126 catches, 1,239 yards, and 11 touchdowns.

Mike LaFleur

The new head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, previously the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams.

Kliff Kingsbury

The former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, who McBride played under when he first joined the team in 2022.

Jonathan Gannon

The former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, who McBride played under for three seasons.

Colby Parkinson

A tight end for the Los Angeles Rams who had 408 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2025 under LaFleur's offense.

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What they’re saying

“They have had a lot of success over there in L.A. They love the tight end. They love to throw the ball. They do a great job of mixing it up and all sorts of things.”

— Trey McBride, Tight end, Arizona Cardinals

“I got to see him on his interviews and (he had) a lot of energy, a lot of excitement. I think he'll do a great job and get us back on track. I'm really excited just to get to know him more, get his guys in and I think we'll have a great season.”

— Trey McBride, Tight end, Arizona Cardinals

“We're going to have foundational aspects that are going to be tried and true. We organically built to that 13 personnel. It wasn't like we were sitting here a year ago saying, 'Hey, we're probably going to (have) the most 13 personnel uses in football.' That's an absolute lie. The best offenses I've been a part of, they've organically just gotten to that point. Guys like Trey are going to be awesome to work with and we'll figure out the best ways to utilize him.”

— Mike LaFleur, Head coach, Arizona Cardinals

What’s next

The Cardinals will look to build chemistry between McBride and LaFleur during the offseason program as they work to install the new offensive system.

The takeaway

With a talented tight end like McBride and an offensive-minded head coach in LaFleur, the Cardinals have the potential to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 season and return to the playoffs if they can get the new scheme up and running effectively.