GLENDALE, Ariz. – Linebacker Tatum Bethune quickly nixed any comparisons between Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride and 49ers counterpart George Kittle.

“Nah, nah, not at all. George, nobody is similar to George,” Bethune said. “George is a unicorn.”

McBride, however, is the NFL’s only tight end in Kittle’s pay grade.

Three seasons into his career, McBride parlayed his first Pro Bowl berth into the NFL’s richest contract ever for a tight end, signing a four-year, $76 million pact on April 3.

A few weeks later, Kittle surpassed that and agreed to a four-year, $76.4 million extension.

It’s McBride, however, who could mean more to his respective team come Sunday’s game between the host Cardinals (3-6) and the 49ers (6-4).

Because smothering McBride is the No. 1 key to victory for

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