Kyler Murray's key teammate indicates the Cardinals' signal-caller could be better than ever

A healthy Kyler Murray is exactly what the Arizona Cardinals needed. Just ask Cardinals tight end Trey McBride.

During an appearance on NFL Network 's The Insiders Tuesday, McBride claimed Murray is primed to return to an MVP level based on his experience with the star quarterback during the club's offseason program.

"This is my third year with him now and he seems more motivated than ever," McBride said. "He's a guy who's bringing everyone together, we're throwing every weekend, we're getting everyone together. He's in the building first one in and last one out. He's one of those guys who's doing everything the right way.

"This is the most confident I've seen him. This is the first year I've been fully healthy with him – he's fully healthy – I think everything is trending the right way. He has a ton of weapons out there and I have full confidence that he's capable of an MVP season."

The last time Murray was healthy for a full season, he had the Cardinals playing some of the best football in recent years.

In 2021, before Murray injured his hamstring, Arizona sat with a 7-0 record. Next season, Murray tore his ACL. Since then, the Cardinals haven't been the same football team.

Despite Murray's injury history, McBride has grown as a threat in the passing game. In the 2023 season, the tight end caught 81 passes for 825 yards and three touchdowns. That was a marked improvement from his rookie season in 2022, where he racked up 29 catches for 265 yards.

McBride believes the added weapons to the Cardinals' offense is what will make a difference for Murray moving forward.

Arizona drafted Marvin Harrison Jr ., while players like Greg Dortch, Michael Wilson, Zay Jones, and James Conner are on the roster.

"There's so many guys that can be explosive and make plays in this offense," McBride said. "I'm just eager to get out on the field and see how the coaches utilize us all."

If Murray can figure out how to get each offensive weapon involved in the offense, he could find a way to land on some MVP leaderboards.

"I think we're a tough, physical football team that no one can really count out," McBride said. "We don't get the respect that we deserve, I feel like, but it's good to be under the radar because no one's really expecting us to do anything. I think we have a great team, a great offense, and I'm super excited to see where this team can go this year."

Related: To one NFL writer, the Cardinals' offseason is defined by who the team let walk