Competitive rivalry with George Kittle drives this tight end to ‘one-up’ the 49ers star

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle wrapped up the 2024 season with a team-leading 1,106 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. It marked the fourth time in his illustrious career that Kittle surpassed the 1,000-yard mark, further solidifying his Hall of Fame trajectory.

Pro Football Focus graded Kittle as the NFL's top tight end with an impressive 92.1 grade. Coming in second was Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, who earned an 86.8 grade. Interestingly, McBride edged out Kittle in receiving yards this season, totaling 1,146—40 more than the 49ers star. It's a stat that McBride likely takes pride in.

?"We play twice a year and I'm always trying to one-up him," McBride told DJ Siddiqi of Sports Casting. "He has 20 yards, I want 21 yards. He has three catches, I want four catches. It's one of those things where it's a great, competitive rivalry that we have and he's also a great person, great friend of mine and I love playing against him every year."

Kittle, ever the gracious competitor, has also expressed admiration for McBride. This season, the 49ers star identified the Cardinals tight end as one of the league's rising talents.

"I'm a big fan of Trey McBride for the Arizona Cardinals," Kittle said in October, per NBC Sports Bay Area. "I like him. He's in a system [where] Kyler Murray trusts him, throws him the ball a lot. He catches everything, he runs hard. He's a menace in the run game. Like he's not the greatest outside-zone blocker, but like he gets up to the second level and he's kind of like a d--k to people, and I respect that in the run game. He gives effort. I'm a big fan of Trey McBride. He's coming along."

McBride just completed his third NFL season and recorded his first 1,000-yard campaign, further establishing himself as a rising star for the Cardinals. Drafted in the second round in 2022, McBride is proving to be a key contributor for the 49ers' NFC West rival.

While McBride has excelled as a pass-catcher, Kittle's all-around game separates him from his peers. Kittle's 70.8 run-blocking grade ranks second among tight ends, behind only Minnesota Vikings tight end Josh Oliver. On the other hand, McBride earned a 63.4 run-blocking grade, ranking 21st. The Cardinals tight end acknowledges that improving in this area is a priority.

?"Run blocking — you can always be better at run blocking," McBride said. "Those defensive ends are good and to block those guys is hard. Just continue working on that to be the best run-blocking guy that I can be."

For McBride, Kittle represents the gold standard at the position, thanks to his dual-threat ability in both the passing and running games.

?"I think George is a guy that sticks out to me," McBride said. "He's a guy who is such an elite player in both the run game and the pass game. That's something I think that makes a great tight end is being able to do both. I love watching him play. I love playing in the same division as him."

While Kittle's accolades include five All-Pro selections and six Pro Bowl nods, McBride's recognition is beginning to roll in. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection this season and looks poised for more.