Never has Trey McBride run track in his athletic world, never hurdled in his life.
Why he has found such an outlet in the dangerous world of grown men trying to drill him when he attempts it in an NFL game, he doesn't know.
"I'm trying to stop," the Cardinals tight end admitted Monday, after yet another viral leap during a run after catch in his team's 31-6 demolishing of the Jets.
Why stop when it's become part of his brand? "Because that one time it doesn't work, it's going to hurt," McBride said. "I don't want that to happen."
The leaps mean something, though. Even McBride has noticed after pulling one off in three straight games.
"It brings a lot of juice and energy to the team," he said. "I feel that's very contagious."
He recalls hurdling once as a Cardinals rookie and "a couple of times" in college (he has one against Boise State noted on his Instagram page with a photo from Nov. 1, 2021). Of course, it isn't that McBride hurdles that makes him special. He is a special player who happens to hurdle.
Halfway through his third season, he is one of the best tight ends in the league. The play in which he hurdled, his jump might've been the second-best part, taking a three-yard pass on third-and-7 and spinning out of a tackle from Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner to get the first down the more important aspect.
McBride has been a demon after the catch – "The guy is elite with the ball in his hands," coach Jonathan Gannon said – and he acknowledged that the play was a "prime example" of how hard it is to tackle tight ends high.
If a guy goes low, however, McBride will fly.
"I'm not really going into the game wanting to jump over people. It's just a reaction," he said.
Even with Marvin Harrison Jr. on the roster, Gannon said McBride is the one through whom the passing game flows. He is Kyler Murray's top target and has been since Murray returned from injury last season. McBride has 49 catches for 552 yards, and that's missing a game.
He has yet to catch a TD pass, and he was lamenting dropping a Murray throw in the end zone Sunday. "Makes me sick," McBride said.
No worries. Murray doesn't think any less of him. In fact, he doesn't think McBride can be compared to any other tight ends.
"I think he's the best," Murray said. "I'm not trying to get ahead of myself or anything or put any pressure on him. I know the work that he's put in. I know what type of athlete he is, what type of player he is. It is good to see that people are taking notice of what he does."
McBride said it's cool to hear props from Murray and Gannon. But he doesn't want to get into comparisons with long-established stars like Travis Kelce or George Kittle. He knows he's a good tight end. And he wants to get better.
Part of that game is his emotion. "When I am out there yelling and screaming, it kind of brings people with me," McBride said.
So does a hurdle, that not only electrifies teammates but the crowd and usually, social media. Quitting may be tough to do.
"I kind of run and jump and hope for the best," McBride said.
ELIJAH JONES TO RETURN, ADAMS BACK INJURY
Gannon said rookie offensive lineman Isaiah Adams suffered his back injury even before pregame warmups on Sunday and was unable to go. He'll benefit from the bye weekend. Rookie cornerback Elijah Jones (heel), who has been on IR since before the first game, is expected to return this season, Gannon added. …
The Cardinals released safety Russ Yeast from the practice squad. Yeast was signed last week.
