Trey McBride set the NFL record for most receptions by a tight end in a single season during the Arizona Cardinals’ 37-14 loss to the Bengals in Cincinnati on Sunday.
The Pro Bowler’s record-setting 117th catch came with 4:41 left in the fourth quarter on a 5-yard hitch route. He finished with 10 catches (upping his season total to 119) for 76 yards, capping his day with an 18-yard touchdown in the final minutes.
McBride entered the game with 109 catches and needed eight to pass former teammate and mentor Zach Ertz (2018) for the record. Last season, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Evan Engram made a run at the mark but came up short with 114 receptions.
McBride also made NFL history on his first catch Sunday, which came early in the second quarter. It allowed him to become the first tight end with 110 catches in multiple seasons.
He said last week that he wasn’t thinking about the single-season receptions record.
“The more you think about it, I think the worse you play,” McBride said. “So, I just kind of want to just go out there and just do what I’ve been doing all year. Just go out there and be me, catch the ball when it’s thrown to me, and if I catch enough to break the record, that’d be great. If not, I’m just going to do what I can to help the team win.”