Arizona’s second-year receiver has shown flashes, but reliability remains in doubt
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Marvin Harrison Jr. arrived in the NFL billed as a future star, the kind of wide receiver who could tilt games with his hands and footwork. But three weeks into the 2025 season, the Arizona Cardinals are still waiting for that version of Harrison to show up.
Instead, what they’ve seen is inconsistency. The flashes are there — the crisp routes, the burst after the catch — but the mistakes have been louder. And nowhere were they more costly than in Sunday’s 16-15 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Harrison dropped two passes that will linger on film. Both came in moments that could have altered the game.
The first was in the third quarter, when Harrison slipped behind coverage, wide open, with nothing but daylight ahead. Kyler Murray delivered the ball in stride. Harrison let it slide through his fingers. What should have been a 30-yard gain instead left the Cardinals punting moments later.
The second came late in the fourth quarter. Murray lobbed a high-arcing throw toward the end zone. Harrison elevated, put both hands on it, and failed to secure the ball as he fell. San Francisco was flagged for defensive pass interference on the play, keeping the drive alive, but Harrison’s miss symbolized the larger issue: the Cardinals had their chances, and Harrison couldn’t finish them.
Afterward, Harrison didn’t hide his frustration.
“Everybody’s got a job to do. I’m not doing it at a high enough level at the moment,” he said.
“I think I know what I’m capable of, and to go out there and not play nowhere near the best of my abilities — it’s frustrating. It hurts the team, and I got to get better,” Harrison added.
He summed up the night with three words: “A lot of emotion.” Then he paused. “Just disappointed, really. I know what I put into the game. It just doesn’t feel the best.”
Those quotes cut to the heart of it. For Harrison, this wasn’t just one bad afternoon. Through three games, he has 10 catches for 142 yards and a single touchdown. The stat line doesn’t match the profile of a top-five draft pick, let alone one drafted to be the centerpiece of the Cardinals’ passing attack.
A Troubling Pattern
Harrison’s rookie season hinted at stardom. He caught 62 passes for 885 yards and eight touchdowns, proving he could hold his own against veteran defenders. But the transition from promise to production in Year 2 has hit turbulence.
The most troubling part is that his drops aren’t coming on impossible catches in traffic. They’re happening on routine plays, the ones receivers at this level have to make. Sunday’s wide-open miss in the third quarter was the kind of play that separates good players from reliable ones. Reliable receivers don’t miss it.
Murray’s style puts pressure on his targets. When plays extend, receivers must stay sharp, adjust on the fly, and make contested catches. Harrison has yet to find a rhythm in that chaos. Too often, the ball gets to him, and the moment slips away.
Missed Opportunities
Against San Francisco, the Cardinals’ defense held firm and kept the 49ers within reach. Murray extended drives with his legs and delivered several sharp passes under pressure. But with the game hanging in the balance, Harrison’s miscues took the spotlight.
In a one-point loss, every play looms large. The drops carried the weight of missed points, lost momentum, and wasted opportunities. That’s the difference between 2-1 and 1-2, between confidence building and doubt creeping in.
The Shadow of a Name
Harrison’s pedigree raises the scrutiny. His father, Marvin Harrison Sr., built a Hall of Fame career on precision, consistency, and hands that rarely failed him. The younger Harrison can’t escape the comparisons, especially when his own issues involve the very skill his father mastered.
The Cardinals didn’t draft Harrison to be ordinary. They drafted him to be the kind of receiver who changes defenses, who forces coordinators to shade coverages his way, who turns tight games into wins. So far this season, he hasn’t met that mark.
The Fix
The solution isn’t complicated, but it is demanding. Harrison needs to simplify his game, build confidence with routine catches, and cut down the errors that swing possessions. The Cardinals can help by designing early touches — quick outs, slants, screens — to let him get comfortable before asking him to deliver in high-pressure moments.
Still, the responsibility falls on Harrison. A receiver’s first job is catching the football. Until he nails the basics, the highlight-reel potential means little.
What Comes Next
The NFL doesn’t wait. Harrison has time to turn this around, but he doesn’t have forever. If he continues to drop passes in key situations, he risks losing the trust of his quarterback, his coaches, and his locker room.
The Cardinals are trying to climb out of mediocrity in a stacked division. They can’t afford their most talented receiver becoming their least reliable.
Harrison knows it. He said it himself. The next step is proving it on the field.
The talent is real. The opportunities are there. But potential isn’t enough anymore. Harrison must catch the football — every time, in every situation. Because until he does, the Cardinals will keep finding themselves on the wrong end of games like Sunday’s.
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