Trey McBride (rest/back) good to go for Week 2

McBride had a big receiving day, though penalties prevented it from being more productive. His first reception was called back due to offensive pass interference while he drew defensive pass interference in the endzone on a 4th-and-1 play. He continues to be the Cardinals’ most effective target on immediate routes, slashing through the 49ers defense for 75 yards. Not much more nuance is needed here, McBride is a fantasy TE1 for Week 4 against the Giants.

McBride is unbelievably good at getting open on short-to-intermediate crossers and out routes. Even the Seahawks’ elite defense had trouble capping his receptions total, although they did prevent him from producing a double-digit gain. McBride’s second-quarter touchdown pulled the Cardinals even with the Seahawks, 7-7. It was a daring, smart call by coach Mike LaFleur, who called McBride’s number via a short out route on 4th-and-goal from the Seahawks’ three-yard line. McBride remains an elite TE1 against the 49ers next week.

McBride should be considered good to go for the Cardinals’ Week 2 game against the Seahawks. It took a while for the team to let us know what was going on yesterday. Although there is something at play here with the back listing, the fact that the team labeled it a rest day is great to see. He’s an elite TE1.

No need to panic after McBride was seen working off to the side Wednesday; the Cardinals listed him as DNP with a rest/back designation. Despite the back being added to the designation, it does not seem like a serious injury worry with the Cardinals also giving him the “resting player” tag. This reads as a rest day for McBride. He is still good to go for Week 2 against the Seahawks.

This could simply be a veteran rest day after the 26-year-old tight end posted a 9/95/1 receiving line against the Chargers in Week 1. Teams frequently allow star players to sit out during the week’s first official practice. The official injury report should come out soon. Until then, there is no reason to panic.

It was a typically dominant McBride performance against a Chargers coverage unit that had no idea how to stop the speedy, big-bodied receiving threat. McBride’s big day included a 27-yard reception and a touchdown in the corner of the end zone that all but put away the ballgame. McBride led the Cardinals with a 33 percent air yards share. His Week 2 matchup against the Seahawks will be much tougher, but McBride remains the best tight end in fantasy. Last year he had 16 receptions for 179 yards and a touchdown in two games against Seattle.

Reiman is expected to be an “important cog in the offense” this year, as a reliable blocker in the run game. Per Cardinals team reporter Darren Urban, LaFleur has, unprompted, mentioned Reiman multiple times this offseason. LaFleur told Urban that he had a lot of respect for Reiman as a prospect and was excited to inherit Reiman when he accepted the Cardinals’ head coaching vacancy this offseason. Reiman’s expected return is good news for both RB Jeremiyah Love and TE Trey McBride. He will provide extra help in the run game while fully freeing up McBride in play action. That said, it does not sound like Reiman will be fantasy-relevant at all this year.

With the single-season receptions record for a tight end already claimed in Week 17, McBride got to put a bow on an already historic season in Week 18. While it wasn’t an elite showing from him to close the year, another seven grabs will make his record even more unattainable for the next tight end to challenge his throne. McBride’s season took off when Kyler Murray went down. Jacoby Brissett took over and cooked the books with absurd passing volume, funneling looks to McBride and Michael Wilson every week. McBride ended the year with a 126/1,239/11 receiving line. He totaled 97 catches, 964 yards, and 10 scores in a dozen Brissett starts. The Brissett takeover allowed him to run away with the TE1 overall crown. His 2025 season goes down as the second-best PPR campaign for a tight end in league history. Brissett is under contract for one more year, meaning he should be back in 2026. Fantasy managers would love to see another 17 games of the Brissett fantasy bonanza, but he will likely return as a bridge to a younger option. Even with some uncertainty around who will be throwing him passes next year, McBride is the uncontested TE1 heading into 2026.

McBride entered the proceedings three catches away from a career new high at 112. He exited with 119 grabs on the year, setting a new single-season record for a tight end with a game to spare. Today was his fourth 10-catch effort of the season, while he’s caught fewer than five balls only once. That was last week with Marvin Harrison Jr. back in the lineup. Today, MHJ aggravated his heel injury and failed to catch a pass. That means McBride could paint one more statistical masterpiece against the Rams in Week 18.

McBride’s day should have been a lot bigger. He had two missed connections with QB Jacoby Brissett that should have resulted in touchdowns. The first was on Brissett, who threw the ball into the turf, just outside of McBride’s reach near the goal line. The second was a 16-yard pass that hit McBride in the chest, which Brissett threaded through double coverage into the end zone. Brissett locked onto the safe, underneath option by linking up with No. 2 TE Elijah Higgins instead of looking downfield, where McBride was running freely down the seam. McBride remains an elite TE1 next week against the Bengals, who field the NFL’s worst tight end-coverage unit.