Arizona Cardinals receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. hasn’t had quite the start to his career that either he or his fans have wanted so far. However, the young receiver has been quiet and humble about it.
ESPN recently talked with Marvin Harrison Sr., Harrison Jr., and Cardinals wide receivers coach Drew Terrell about the young receiver’s situation and personality. There’s a big difference between Harrison Jr. and Harrison Sr.’s personalities on the field, and Terrell wants to see more of the assertion the Hall of Fame receiver had in his son.
Why Does Assertion Take Growth in Marvin Harrison Jr.’s Game?
The Cardinals’ offense was ranked No. 11 in points scored and No. 12 in total yards in the NFL in 2024, and Harrison Jr. had a solid rookie year.
The Cardinals receiver had 62 catches for 885 yards and eight touchdowns. However, there hasn’t been a second-year jump in Harrison Jr.’s production, and the Cardinals’ offense has sputtered.
Arizona ranks No. 23 in the NFL in offense and No. 30 in the league in passing yards, according to PFSN’s Offense Impact.
“I feel like any kind of system can work if you have the 11 guys executing at a high level, whether that’s certain receivers getting maybe more targets than others,” Harrison Jr. told ESPN. “I think it all really still comes down to execution.”
The Cardinals haven’t executed on offense this year, and Harrison Jr.’s stats have resembled that. The young receiver has 24 catches for 396 yards and two touchdowns in 2025 so far. Harrison has tried to focus on doing the best with the cards he’s been dealt, but he admitted it’s hard not to compare himself to others.
Whether that be a comparison to his Hall of Fame father, or Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who was drafted in the exact same spot as Harrison Jr. just four years earlier.
Harrison Sr. is a Hall of Fame receiver who had eight straight 1,000-yard seasons, and Chase has quickly become arguably one of the best receivers in the NFL. However, both of them received way more targets than Harrison Jr. has in the first couple of years of his career.
“I can’t control some things,” Harrison Jr. said. “And that part is frustrating because you want the ball and you see the other guys and [it’s] just a natural comparison.”
Although Harrison has never been one to complain about targets or complain in the locker room, the young receiver has always been quieter and kept his thoughts to himself.
“I am not the first to say it, but [Harrison Sr.] demanded the ball a lot more than maybe I would have demanded the ball,” Harrison Jr. said. “I’m getting there. I think I’m trying to get there. Just how I go about it is a little different than he did.”
But his Hall of Fame father said that’s what made him the three-time All-Pro type player he was.
What Do Harrison Sr. and Drew Terrell Think About the Young Receiver?
“That’s how I am and that’s how my mentality is,” Harrison Sr. told ESPN. “That’s why I am who I am. That doesn’t point the finger at no one. That’s the attitude you have to have in this league. Man, he’s (Harrison Jr.) like a church mouse.”
Harrison Sr. didn’t mean that as a shot at his son, but sometimes you have to be willing to speak up for yourself, and Harrison Jr.’s receiver coach echoed that sentiment.
“You should be almost delusional in that you think you’re open all the time when you’re probably not, but ‘I don’t care, throw me that s**t anyway,’” Terrell told ESPN. “Wideouts should all have that type of confidence. So, yeah, I got no issues if he’s pissed off about not getting the ball during the game.”
Harrison Jr. has always taken a humble approach, trying to make plays when his number is called, rather than demanding that his number be called.
However, Terrell is challenging him to get out of his comfort zone and demand more attention. It may take growth, but that could be the next step in the young receiver’s development.
“I’m in a different territory now,” Harrison Jr. said. “I don’t even know how to go about it, but I’m trying to figure it out and obviously just still do my part and do my job to the best of my abilities. But yeah, it’s tough.”
It’s something new for Harrison Jr., but he was drafted fourth overall for a reason. He has the talent necessary to be one of the top receivers in the NFL. If the Cardinals aren’t getting him the ball enough, it may be time for him to demand more targets and show he’s ready to be the guy in Arizona moving forward.
