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Arizona Cardinals fans had reason to be worried about Trey McBride leading up to Sunday's home date with the New England Patriots. However, they can now breathe a sigh of relief.
McBride (knee) is off the injury report after being limited in practice throughout the week, via NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Head coach Jonathan Gannon clarified that the ailment didn't start during the Week 14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, via the Cardinals' social media.
The 25-year-old would have been a debilitating loss for Arizona, as he's the centerpiece of its passing attack despite not yet scoring a touchdown. McBride leads the team with 80 catches, 106 targets, and 851 receiving yards across 12 games.
The Colorado State alum is not only one of the league's best tight ends but one of its most consistent pass-catchers overall, as his 80 receptions are tied for sixth among all players.
Now, Kyler Murray and company have no excuse to lose to the 3-10 Patriots as they try to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Trey McBride, Cardinals must take care of business at home
Even if McBride were out for Sunday's game, Arizona would've still fielded a better team than New England, who's in Year 1 of a rebuild. The Cardinals are littered with talent on both sides of the ball, such as dynamic rookie wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. and reliable veteran safety Budda Baker. That's not to mention Murray, who's fifth in the NFL with a 71.6 quarterback rating.
A win on Sunday would bring them to 7-7 with three games left, only one behind the Los Angeles Rams. The Seattle Seahawks currently hold a half-game lead atop the NFC West at 8-5, but they have difficult bouts with the 9-4 Green Bay Packers and 11-2 Minnesota Vikings coming up.
If Arizona misses the playoffs, it would be its third straight season on the couch in January. At some point, Murray needs a chance to prove himself on the big stage.
