Former Ohio State star Marvin Harrison Jr. is in a really bad spot for his NFL career
Marvin Harrison Jr. was a star at Ohio State, but things have been the opposite in the NFL. The latest development signals bad news for Harrison’s NFL career.
Marvin Harrison Jr. was only in Columbus for three years, and the former Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver was a star for two of them. In 2022 and 2023, Harrison surpassed 1,200 receiving yards with 14 receiving touchdowns in each season, production that helped him become the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the Arizona Cardinals.
Being a top-five selection at wide receiver doesn’t happen often, and Harrison’s draft status came with massive expectations to be a star for Arizona right away.
Harrison’s rookie season in 2024 produced 885 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. A pretty solid season, but it still wasn’t quite as productive as you’d expect from a player taken that high. He took a step back in 2025 when he missed five games and finished with 608 receiving yards.
Marvin Harrison Jr.’s 2026 numbers are alarming already
So far in 2026, Harrison is trending toward bust territory, which is tough because he was such a productive player at Ohio State who looked like he would for sure be a difference-maker in the NFL.
According to Pro Football Focus, Harrison has been on the field for 68 pass plays through the first two games of the NFL season. He’s been targeted just four times with one catch for 33 yards. The Cardinals run their offense through star tight end Trey McBride, but at this point in the season, Harrison is last on the team in catches among players who have a reception. Three teammates are ahead of him in yardage.
The Cardinals are a bad team who will lose a lot of games this year, just like they have the past couple of seasons, and poor quarterback play is going to be a part of what they are until they find their franchise guy.
A fresh start could be what Harrison needs
With Harrison trending toward bust status and on track for his worst NFL season through two games, he might want to ask out at this point. The Cardinals are unlikely to pick up his fifth-year option, and he will be under contract through the 2027 season.
A fresh start could be what Harrison needs to regain the type of play he’s capable of and the level he showed at Ohio State.
It cannot be understated how bad of a spot the 6-foot-3, 220-pound receiver is in right now. This is a potential bust from Ohio State, and that’s a shock to fans who watched just how good he was in Columbus.
