Paris Johnson Jr. had a smile on his face as Trey McBride's long list of accolades were being announced.
"The G.O.A.T.," the left tackle said.
The Cardinals tight end was named the recipient of the Lloyd Herberg MVP award for the team this season. Johnson was honored as the Steve Schoenfeld Good Guy winner, given to a player that is available, insightful, and professional while working with the media. The postseason awards were presented by the Arizona chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America.
Yet standing in front of the media this week weren't just two key contributors on offense.
They are two of important building blocks that the organization will rely on to lead the turnaround after a challenging season.
"I know that we have the guys here to make anything happen," Johnson said. "I believe in our coaching. I believe in the culture, and I believe in the guys that we have. I know the leadership here will bring in the right guys as well this upcoming offseason and I believe we're heading in the right direction."
The emergence of both players has been a welcome sight. Johnson, who was briefly the front-runner in fan voting for the Pro Bowl at tackle, played his second season at left tackle. It was the first time since high school that he played the same position in consecutive years.
McBride etched his name in the NFL record books after setting the single-season record for most receptions by a tight end last week. His 119 receptions are tied with Puka Nacua for league-leader in receptions. McBride's 11 touchdowns are tied for the second-most receiving TDs in the league, and he is the only tight end with over 1,000 yards (1,174).
But it's still not good enough for McBride.
"You play this game to win and it's not all about the individual stats," McBride said. "You want to win every game, but you try to focus on what you can control and try to be the best version of yourself and put your best foot forward every single week, and hopefully the guys will follow you and continue to be the best version of themselves.
"We have everything we need, we just have to bring other guys along with us, and I think that's the main thing."
Johnson's third season was cut short after a knee injury in Week 14 against the Rams. The left tackle said that he has been working hard since sustaining the injury, adding that his knee "is doing a lot better." He said that he has been working with specialists from around the country to return to full health. (Johnson did not get into specifics of his injury.)
As a natural leader, it's been a struggle to convey the same message from the sidelines. When you aren't playing, guys notice.
"I'm trying to be mindful," Johnson said. "But again, I'm trying to do what I can to be back and to show the guys that I can't wait to be back. I'm going to be back even stronger."
Both Johnson and McBride have taken the losses hard this season.
Although nobody wished for a season like this, there's belief that there is a silver lining from the adversity. If players or coaches aren't bought in, a season like this can expose it.
"It's hard from the outside to appreciate the culture that we have because you're starting to look at the wins versus losses, but I think the testament to the culture that we have he is the men that we have when times are tough," Johnson said. "Now we've got to start putting those together so we translate to a win, because you'll be able to tell really fast from the outside if the culture is starting to shake."
