Cardinals finalizing deal to trade WR Marvin Harrison Jr., sources say
The Cardinals are finalizing a trade of wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., with Houston among the teams involved, and he will sit out Sunday's game against Detroit.
Why Marvin Harrison Jr. is trending
People are searching his name because the Cardinals are finalizing a trade of their wide receiver, according to sources who spoke with ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Arizona told Harrison he will be inactive for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions while the deal gets done. He skipped the team's Saturday night meetings, a source told ESPN's Josh Weinfuss.
What's known: a trade is in motion and Harrison won't play Sunday. What isn't known yet: which team lands him and exactly what Arizona gets back. The next step is Sunday's game, which Harrison will miss, followed by the trade becoming official once the two sides finish the paperwork.
Who's in the mix
Houston has talked with Arizona and is considered squarely in the running, according to Schefter and Rapoport's sources. A move to the Texans would reunite Harrison with C.J. Stroud, his quarterback at Ohio State. The Indianapolis Colts are not part of the talks, a source told ESPN's Stephen Holder.
On price, Arizona went into the weekend wanting a first-round pick for Harrison. Other teams have valued him more in the range of a second-day selection, and a source said the Cardinals were asking for a second-round choice and more.
A rough start fueled the chatter
Harrison had just one catch through the first two games this season, and trade speculation built from there. Four games in, he has five catches on 12 targets for 85 yards and one touchdown, the fifth-most targets on Arizona's offense. Tight end Trey McBride, receivers Michael Wilson and Kendrick Bourne, and running back Jeremiyah Love have all out-targeted him, and Harrison was tied for sixth in receptions on the team.
His only touchdown of the year came in a 36-24 loss to the Giants, after which he put a finger to his face mask in a shush gesture. Asked about it later, Harrison said, "No message." He also said he hasn't been following the trade talk. He hired agents Todd France and Tory Dandy on Sept. 23, after not having representation before that.
The bigger picture
Harrison is the son of Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison Sr., who holds multiple Indianapolis receiving records. The younger Harrison has 1,578 receiving yards and 13 touchdown catches in 33 games with Arizona since being taken No. 4 overall in 2024. He has never topped 1,000 yards in a season. Last year, foot injuries and appendicitis limited him to 12 games, 41 catches, 608 yards and four touchdowns. As a rookie he caught 62 passes for 885 yards and eight touchdowns.
Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur said after the Giants loss that he still believes in Harrison. "Yeah, my confidence is high in Marv," LaFleur said.
Facts per ESPN, ESPN box score. Opinion is the taproom's.