The first big name traded during the NFL season: Marvin Harrison Jr.
According to ESPN, the Arizona Cardinals have agreed to trade Harrison to the Houston Texans. Houston is sending second- and sixth-round picks in the 2027 draft in exchange for Harrison and Arizona’s seventh-round pick next year.
It was reported Saturday morning that a deal involving Harrison was close. FOX’s Jay Glazer explained the delay in its finalization Sunday morning.
“Here’s what Arizona is looking for: They gave the word yesterday, they’re hoping some other team — maybe somebody goes down or somebody gets desperate for a wide receiver — and they come up with the asking price for a second-round pick. But (Harrison) wasn’t even in the team meeting last night. His time in Arizona is over.”
After the trade was reported, Glazer shared more details about the deal during FOX’s Lions-Cardinals telecast.
“I think it was actually a good job by the Cardinals,” Glazer said. “There wasn’t a bunch of teams trying to knock their doors down for (Harrison). I know people thought maybe the Chiefs or the Raiders were interested. Neither of those teams were interested. They really worked on it with the Texans yesterday.
“Recently, Marvin Harrison hired an agent. He didn’t have an agent before. You really can’t make a trade if you’re dealing directly with a player. Because he hired an agent, that definitely made it easier.”
Well, Houston won on Sunday to get to 1-4 and seemingly complete the trade after beating the Titans. The Texans are three games back of the Jaguars 4-1 in the AFC South. Only one other team has started the season 0-4 and made the playoffs: the 1992 San Diego Chargers.
With the Texans, Harrison will be reunited with a former teammate at Ohio State: quarterback CJ Stroud.
CJ Stroud (left) talks with former college teammate Marvin Harrison Jr. after a game at NRG Stadium on December 14, 2025, in Houston, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
The Cardinals selected Harrison with the No. 4 in the 2024 NFL Draft after the wide receiver forged a decorated career with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
A two-time All-American, Harrison led the Big Ten in receiving touchdowns in 2022 and 2023 (14 scores both years) and both receiving yards (1,211) and yards per reception (18.1) in 2023, a year that saw him finish fourth in Heisman Trophy voting.
However, Harrison’s tenure with the Cardinals did not live up to the hype. After a 2024 rookie campaign that saw Harrison total 62 receptions for 885 yards and eight touchdowns, he recorded 41 receptions for 608 yards and four scores in 2025. Harrison played in just 12 games in 2025 due to an illness and a heel injury.
In Arizona’s first four games this season, Harrison had just five receptions for 85 yards and one touchdown.
Marvin Harrison Jr.’s latest hit. with the Cardinals came on October 4, 2026, against the New York Giants. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Last week, former NFL wide receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh said our Eric D. Williams that he thinks Harrison should seek a trade from the Cardinals in order to restart his career.
“I believe that’s the best thing for him, it’s just a fresh start somewhere else,” Houshmandzadeh said. “I don’t believe the Cardinals see him as the generational player he was when they drafted him. If they did, he would be involved in the offense.”