Trey McBride Addresses His Controversial Comments About Cardinals Fans Ahead of 2026 NFL Season

Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride is walking back some of his recent comments about what he described as a lack of in-state fans.

McBride said in an appearance on the Bussin' with the Boys podcast last month there were "no Arizona fans in Arizona" because of the number of transplants in the state.

"I probably shouldn't have said that. It came out wrong," McBride said Saturday (h/t Arizona Sports' Tyler Drake). "Obviously, the fan base is great. We have a tremendous fan base, Arizona's been here, loyal fans to all sports teams here."

McBride continued, "I love it here in Arizona, and I hope they love me too. It's a special place, the fans are great, and I'm excited for this year to give them something to be proud of."

McBride's comments came around the 1:16:30 mark of his June 30 appearance on the podcast.

"It's like, living in Arizona, no one's from Arizona. Everyone has moved in from another state, so they're all fans of their own team," McBride said. "So now you have the Arizona that sits there, and there's no Arizona fans in Arizona.

"So, it's a tough deal, but hopefully we start winning some games and we can bring some of those fans back."

Arizona ranked second to last among all NFL teams in total home game attendance last season.

That certainly wasn't due to a lack of production from McBride. He earned his first All-Pro nod and set a positional record for single-season catches by bringing in 126 receptions for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns despite a midseason quarterback change in 2025.

The Cardinals will hope McBride's historic season and the impending arrival of rookie running back Jeremiyah Love can help drive excitement ahead of the 2026 season as training camp continues in Arizona.