After Trey McBride snared 126 receptions this season, smashing the NFL record for catches by a tight end in a single season, there was little doubt who the best tight end in the NFL was this year.
That was given tangible proof on Saturday, when McBride was an almost-unanimous pick by Associated Press voters as first-team All-Pro.
McBride received 49 of 50 first-place votes. San Francisco tight end George Kittle -- who interestingly finished third among tight ends, with Atlanta's Kyle Pitts getting the second-team nod -- got the other first-place vote, despite playing just 11 games because of injuries.
McBride is the first Cardinals tight end to be named first-team All-Pro.
Three other Cardinals received All-Pro votes. Safety Budda Baker, a former All-Pro himself, got two votes. Punter Matt Haack, who played just seven games but averaged 51.3 yards a punt on 25 attempts, got a vote. And the ageless Calais Campbell got one vote but it was a first-place vote for special teams.
Baker was a second-team All-Pro last season, and Baker's first-team nod in 2020 was the last time a Cardinals made the first team. The last time the Cardinals had an offensive player named All-Pro was running back David Johnson in 2016.
McBride dominated all season. He had 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns to go with his 126 receptions. He is the first tight end in NFL history with 100 catches in back-to-back seasons, and his total also set the Cardinals' franchise record for receptions in a season. He set the NFL record for at least five catches in a game by a tight end, with 16.
"Individually it was a great year, one of my best years I've had, so I'm excited about that," McBride said. "How I'll celebrate, the Pro Bowl is one way, so I'm excited about that."
McBride broke the receptions record in the 16th game of the season, an important distinction for him since he didn't need the extra game in the season to surpass Zach Ertz's former mark.
"The catches (record) is pretty cool," McBride said. "That one will hopefully stick for a little while."
