The Arizona Cardinals are finalizing a trade of wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., ESPN and NFL Network reported Saturday morning. The team told Harrison he'll sit out Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions while it finishes the deal. No trade partner is official yet, and reports say nothing will be final before Monday. The Houston Texans are the reported favorite. A move there would reunite Harrison with C.J. Stroud, his quarterback at Ohio State. Arizona drafted Harrison fourth overall in 2024. He had 885 yards as a rookie, 608 last season and 85 through four games this year. On Friday, general manager Monti Ossenfort told Arizona Sports radio that "Marv is a big part of what we're doing."

The Cardinals Failed Him, And The GM Owns It

Critics say Arizona never built an offense around him and is now selling low.

He never got a fair shot. Alex D'Agostino of ALLCITY PHNX wrote that Harrison showed "flashes of greatness, muddled by lackluster route trees, poor offensive playcalling and subpar QB play." He said the Cardinals "found a way to miss on a can't-miss prospect." He argued that a second-round pick won't make up for that, because mid-round picks "are closer to lottery tickets than surefire NFL contributors."

His own coach defended him last month. Harrison's effort drew questions in September, and head coach Mike LaFleur pushed back. LaFleur said, "I think his running style is different than some other people's." He added that "his teammates don't feel that way." After last Sunday's loss to the Giants, LaFleur said, "my confidence is high in Marv."

Fans want the GM fired. Fans on X called the trade "organizational malpractice" and called for Ossenfort's firing. Arizona has gone 16-39 since Ossenfort took over. Cardinals legend Adrian Wilson posted after the news that he hates "what's happening to the @AZCardinals right now." Wilson is a five-time Pro Bowl safety in the team's Ring of Honor.

But Moving On Was Overdue

Others say his production kept falling and a big contract decision was coming.

A $20 million decision was coming. The Cardinals have to decide this offseason whether to pick up Harrison's fifth-year option. Donnie Druin of SI's Cardinals site wrote that the option was "projected around $20 million (fully guaranteed)." Druin noted that the team just paid receiver Michael Wilson. He wrote that "the writing was on the wall" for Harrison to leave before the option kicked in.

His numbers fell every year. His yards dropped from 885 to 608, and he has 85 so far this season. DAZN reported that Harrison hasn't caught more than two passes in any game this year. It said tight end Trey McBride and receiver Michael Wilson have taken bigger roles.

A new team probably won't turn him into a star. CBS Sports writers Ryan Wilson and Shanna McCarriston found that most first-round receivers who start slow don't become stars after a trade. Harrison's 1,578 career yards look more like Corey Davis's start than Amari Cooper's. Cooper took off after a trade to Dallas. Harrison's catch rate ranks 46th among first-round receivers.

Even So, Arizona Botched How It Did This

Even some who accept the trade say the timing and the rollout make the team look bad.

The GM praised him the day before. Ossenfort said Friday that Harrison was "a big part of what we're doing." On Saturday, fans were throwing that quote back at the team. Druin called the midseason timing "a bit shocking" and said "the optics here reflect poorly on the Cardinals, undoubtedly."

Nobody knows where he's going. The news broke without a named trade partner. Darren Urban writes for the Cardinals' own website and is in his 27th season covering the team. He posted, "Ok, this is as weird as it gets." ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio called it "definitely unusual." He suggested it "could be an eleventh-hour attempt to get other teams to the table, in the hopes of driving up the price."

Where This Lands

D'Agostino says Arizona wasted a can't-miss prospect, and angry fans want Ossenfort fired. Druin points to the $20 million option, and the CBS history says a new team rarely fixes a slow starter. Druin still says the midseason timing makes the team look bad. Urban and Florio found the partnerless announcement strange. Harrison sits out Sunday against Detroit, and reports say the trade won't be final until Monday. Houston offered a 2028 second-round pick, and Arizona wants a 2027 one, ProFootballTalk reported Saturday.

Sources