Cardinals Finalizing Deal to Trade WR Harrison Jr — SkimNews
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- Arizona Cardinals are finalizing a trade to send Marvin Harrison Jr., telling him he'll be inactive for Sunday's game vs. the Lions as the deal closes after weeks of trade speculation.
- Houston is "squarely in the mix" for Harrison, a move that would reunite him with college quarterback C.J. Stroud; the Indianapolis Colts are not part of discussions despite his father Marvin Harrison Sr. being an Indy legend.
- Harrison's slow start — five catches on 12 targets for 85 yards and a touchdown through four games — has him ranked only fifth in targets on the Cardinals offense behind Trey McBride, Michael Wilson, Kendrick Bourne and Jeremiyah Love.
- The Cardinals are asking for first-round value in return for Harrison, whom other teams view as a second-day-pick-level player; the gap between those valuations is likely to define the return.
- Harrison hired agents Todd France and Tory Dandy on Sept. 23 to help navigate a potential trade; France worked the Brian Burns deal and Dandy the A.J. Brown trade.
- The fifth-year option decision looming this offseason is driving trade urgency, with Harrison owed $4 million this year and $5.62 million next year on his rookie contract.
Why it matters: For Arizona, conceding on the 2024 No. 4 overall pick after fewer than two full seasons is a striking draft-capital loss — the club sought first-round value while teams pegged Harrison as a second-day pick, and the return will likely split that difference. For the acquiring team, the looming fifth-year option decision explains why teams want to close before the November trade deadline rather than wait for the offseason.
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