Marvin Harrison Jr. Reportedly to be Traded to Mystery Team by Cardinals, Will Be Inactive vs. Lions

The Arizona Cardinals have reportedly decided to trade wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to an unnamed team ahead of their Week 5 game against the Detroit Lions.

Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport of ESPN reported the news, noting Harrison will be inactive for Sunday's game.

According to Schefter, the Houston Texans have been involved in talks for Harrison, but a team source told him they "can't confirm or deny" the team's interest at this time.

According to Mike Chappell of Fox 59 and CBS 4 Sports, the Indianapolis Colts did "due diligence" on the son of the franchise legend, but they will not be his ultimate landing spot. ESPN's Stephen Holder confirmed the Colts will not be acquiring Harrison.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported the Cardinals and the mystery team involved "prefer the trade destination is not announced" until the conclusion of their respective Week 5 games.

The news comes after Tom Pelissero of The Ringer reported earlier Saturday that the Cardinals had received "several calls" on Harrison, and teams that had spoken to the Cards were saying Arizona wanted a second-round pick and possibly more—such as an additional mid-round pick—in return.

Selected fourth overall by the Cardinals in the 2024 NFL draft, Harrison has barely been utilized under new head coach Mike LaFleur this season, recording five receptions for 85 yards and one touchdown through four games.

Despite Harrison's lack of usage, Pelissero noted that Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort wasn't "eager" to part ways with the talented wideout given the huge draft investment he made in him just over two years ago.

Harrison showed flashes of the player he could potentially be as a rookie, registering 62 catches for 885 yards and eight touchdowns, all of which still stand as career highs.

Last season, Harrison was limited to 12 games due to injury, and he finished with 41 grabs for 608 yards and four touchdowns.

With Harrison missing time, it allowed for the emergence of wide receiver Michael Wilson, who finished with a career-high 78 receptions for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns en route to becoming the No. 2 option in the passing game behind superstar tight end Trey McBride.

That has carried over to this season, even under a new head coach, as Wilson is second on the team in catches (25) and receiving touchdowns (one), and leads the team with 258 receiving yards.

▶️ Full Cardinals-Giants Recap

05:55

In fact, Harrison is even behind veteran slot receiver Kendrick Bourne in the pecking order, as he has 12 grabs for 108 yards.

Harrison simply isn't a featured part of the offense, and although Arizona's asking price is pretty hefty, Harrison was losing value with each passing week the more he wasn't utilized.

Per Pelissero, there is still $6.3 million in guaranteed money left on Harrison's contract, and a team option for 2028.

It was difficult to envision the Cardinals exercising that option and the team risked losing Harrison for nothing in the not-too-distant future, making a trade an obvious option to recoup value.