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Josh Weinfuss
Trey McBride set the NFL record for most receptions by a tight end in a single season during the Arizona Cardinals’ 37-14 loss to the Bengals in Cincinnati on Sunday.
The Pro Bowler’s record-setting 117th catch came with 4:41 left in the fourth quarter on a 5-yard hitch route. He finished with 10 catches (upping his season total to 119) for 76 yards, capping his day with an 18-yard touchdown in the final minutes.
McBride entered the game with 109 catches and needed eight to pass former teammate and mentor Zach Ertz (2018) for the record. Last season, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Evan Engram made a run at the mark but came up short with 114 receptions.
“It’s really cool, and thankful for my teammates and coaches,” McBride told reporters after the game. “It’s cool to get it in 16 games, too; I didn’t want anyone to give me a hard time about that.
“But honestly, it doesn’t really matter. I would’ve loved to have won the game, loved to have played better as an offense. Just wasn’t there today.”
McBride also broke DeAndre Hopkins’ Cardinals franchise record of 115 catches, set in 2020.
McBride also made NFL history on his first catch Sunday, which came early in the second quarter. It allowed him to become the first tight end with 110 catches in multiple seasons.
“I’m proud of him,” Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon said. “He shows up to work every day and battles, and he’s one of the best players out there. That’s really cool. I’m down about the team, and I know he’s down about the team, but I don’t want to overlook that. He’s had a fantastic year.”
McBride needs 33 yards in Week 18 against the Rams to break the single-season franchise record for yards by a tight end. Hall of Famer Jackie Smith, who had 1,205 yards in 1967, currently holds that mark.
