The Arizona Cardinals are in a difficult situation with Marvin Harrison Jr. He was held without a catch in Week 2 and only has one 33-yard reception on the season. That is simply not good enough for a player drafted in the top five. It is especially worrisome because of Harrison's lineage and the fact that he dominated at the college level.
Now the rumors about Arizona possibly trading Harrison are beginning to heat up.
ESPN's Dan Graziano shared what he is hearing from league executives about that idea at this point in the season.
“Execs around the league are wondering whether the Arizona Cardinals could explore trading 2024 No. 4 pick Marvin Harrison Jr. ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline,” Graziano wrote. “Harrison was held without a catch in Week 2. The team signed fellow wide receiver Michael Wilson Jr. to a contract extension this offseason. They have a new coaching staff and a new offense.”
It is difficult to imagine the Cardinals extending Harrison after his rookie contract. He hasn't even gone over 900 receiving yards in a season yet despite being viewed as a generational talent. It's entirely possible that Arizona doesn't view Harrison as part of their future plans any longer.
“Harrison is extension-eligible after this season, and as of now, the Cardinals would have a hard time paying him based on what he's shown in the league so far. It's worth watching out for a potential change-of-scenery deal in this case,” Graziano added.
So what should Arizona do with Harrison if he isn't fitting into Mike LaFleur's offense?
One team stands out as an obvious trade destination for Harrison if the Cardinals do decide to trade him.
Marvin Harrison Jr. could resurrect his career in Buffalo with Josh Allen
The Bills may be one of the best trade destinations for Harrison in the entire league.
To start, Buffalo plays in the AFC. That means Arizona would be sending him outside of their conference, preventing them from running into him in the postseason. Unless they meet in the Super Bowl, of course.
But beyond that, there are a few reasons why the Bills may be best team in the AFC to trade Harrison to.
Buffalo is desperately chasing a Super Bowl this season, so upgrading at almost any position should be on the table. The Bills already saw that adding DJ Moore helped their offense in Week 1. But Moore suffered a shoulder injury in Week 2, reminding Bills fans that depth is always good to have.
If the Bills did acquire Harrison, he would fit naturally into the role Keon Coleman currently plays. Harrison may not be the superstar we though he would be, but he would probably perform better than Coleman. In fact, the Bills could even send Coleman back to the Cardinals as part of a potential trade.
Perhaps the most tempting part of acquiring Harrison would be the cheap price. Arizona should feel comfortable getting a mid-round draft pick in exchange for Harrison. If they could net a pick plus Coleman, that's a pretty solid package. From Buffalo's perspective, that is a small price to pay for a high-upside receiver like Harrison.
The same logic applies to his small $4.01 cap hit in 2026 if acquired via trade.
Buffalo should seriously consider making a move like this one as soon as possible. While waiting to the deadline might be tempting, it would give Harrison less time to adjust to Buffalo's offensive scheme. The more time he can have to adjust during the regular season, the better.
It will be fascinating to see if the Bills show any interest in Harrison over the next few months.