Who Should I Start? Trey McBride or Colston Loveland

Thursday, April 3, 4:43 PM

The Arizona Cardinals are making Pro Bowl tight end Trey McBride the highest-paid tight end in NFL history with a four-year, $76 million contract extension on Thursday, according to his agents. The deal includes $43 million guaranteed and a $19 million average per year, which is the highest ever for any NFL tight end. The 25-year-old former second-rounder (55th overall) in 2022 out of Colorado State was a first-time Pro Bowler in 2024 while setting career-highs in receptions (111), targets (147), receiving yards (1,146) in 16 games. Despite only finding the end zone two times, McBride still finished as the TE2 in standard scoring in his third year in the league, with his 111 catches falling just one short of Brock Bowers' 112 for the league lead. He should score more in 2025 in his fourth year in the NFL, making him an elite TE1 target for fantasy managers.

Thursday, May 8, 7:16 PM

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Chicago Bears have signed first-round pick tight end Colston Loveland to a four-year, $26.6 million deal. He was one of five draft picks to sign their rookie deal on Thursday, along with new teammate, running back Kyle Monangai. The former Michigan Wolverine is officially a Bear. Loveland did not laud eye-popping stats during his time in college, but he brings a tantalizing blend of athleticism and ball skills to the field. Not only is he versatile -- able to move around the formation to cause mismatches -- but he's also drawn comparisons to Trey McBride and Sam LaPorta, the latter of which would be fitting considering his potential role in a Ben Johnson offense. The Idaho native will likely lose some work to fellow tight end Cole Kmet in 2025, but he's an excellent long-term play and should take over as the team's starter eventually.