Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride issued a public apology after Saturday's training camp practice in Glendale, Arizona, walking back his previous offseason remarks that criticized the team's local fanbase.
During a June appearance on the 'Bussin' with the Boys' podcast, the Pro Bowl tight end sparked backlash by suggesting that local demographics hurt home crowd attendance.
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"Living in Arizona, no one's from Arizona," McBride said at the time.
"Everyone has kinda moved in from another state, so they're all fans of their own teams, so now you have the Arizona that sits there and there's no Arizona fans in Arizona."
He added that winning games could help bring fans back.
Addressing reporters after practice, McBride acknowledged his error and praised the loyalty of local sports supporters.
"I probably shouldn't have said that," he said. "It came out wrong, and obviously the fanbase is great.
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We have a tremendous fanbase."
McBride emphasized that Arizona has loyal fans across all sports teams and expressed gratitude for their support.
"We're very lucky to have a lot of these guys, and we're going to have a great season," he said.
"We're going to win games, and we're going to make sure those fans have something proud to cheer for."
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The tight end reaffirmed his affection for the area and expressed optimism about the roster's upcoming campaign under new leadership.
