The offense and defense Madden rankings roll out Wednesday, July 29, but Cardinals All-Pro tight end Trey McBride made news earlier this week by joining the 99 club.
The rankings have McBride in rarefied air. He joins a select set of stars with a 99 overall rating in the iconic video game, the highest number possible.
“I mean, shoot, that’s pretty cool, right?” McBride said. “I’ve played this game for a long time, I grew up playing Madden, and to get that recognition is pretty special.”
Joining McBride are Rams standouts Myles Garrett and Matthew Stafford, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
At tight end, McBride leads the San Francisco 49ers‘ George Kittle (96) and the Las Vegas Raiders‘ Brock Bowers (93). The most recent tight end to achieve a 99 overall rating was the Kansas City Chiefs‘ Travis Kelce, who achieved the rating two years ago.
Since his selection in the second round of the 2022 draft, McBride has gradually ascended into being the best pass-catching tight end in the NFL. He had a quiet rookie season, followed by a breakout 825-yard campaign in 2023. In 2024, he topped the 1,000-yard mark for the first time but strangely hauled in just two receiving touchdowns.
Then, last season, he put it all together, with 126 catches for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns. Each mark was the highest in the league at the position.
His challenge now will be replicating that production in a new offense under head coach Mike LaFleur, who replaced offensive coordinator Drew Petzing as the Cardinals‘ offensive playcaller.
For the Cardinals, it’s crucial that McBride does just that. On a team with few other established stars, he provides a shining beacon of hope.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cardinals tight end Trey McBride joins an elite Madden club
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