Brissett explains McBride sideline exchange: 'It was about the double-team stuff'
Arizona's quarterback said his conversation with the frustrated star tight end was about coverage, and defended his decision not to force the ball into a double team
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The Cardinals' sideline moment between Jacoby Brissett and Trey McBride was about coverage, not chemistry. Asked about the star tight end's visible frustration on the bench Sunday, Arizona's quarterback said the exchange was rooted in McBride being doubled, and that Brissett had to explain why the ball wasn't coming his way.
Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate): #Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett on TE Trey McBride's frustration and whether it's related to being double-teamed: "Yeah, it was about the double-team stuff. I had to bring the tablet over, and I'm like, 'Look, bro, I don't know what you want. I can't force that in and put the team in jeopardy.' He understands that. It's the competitor in him."
McBride has been the centerpiece of Arizona's passing game and is regularly the focal point of opposing defensive plans. Brissett's account — that he pulled up video on the tablet to show McBride what the coverage looked like — paints the interaction as a competitor wanting the football versus a quarterback protecting the football. "I can't force that in and put the team in jeopardy," Brissett said, adding that McBride understood after seeing it.
The Cardinals have leaned on McBride heavily during a frustrating stretch, and any hint of tension between the quarterback and his top target would carry real stakes for an offense that already ranks near the bottom of the league in scoring. Brissett's framing lands as a normal in-game conversation between two competitive players — but the fact it surfaced at all is a reminder of how much Arizona needs its passing game to click.