Marvin Harrison Jr.’s trade was in the cards all along.
The wide receiver, who was traded to the Texans on Sunday, had early signs of discontent with the Cardinals after his request was declined for a Seeker catching machine made by Monarc Sport, per The Arizona Republic.
Harrison, who was selected fourth overall by Arizona in 2024, used the advanced robotic throwing machine valued around $50,000 that can replicate the speed and trajectory of an NFL quarterback during his days at Ohio State.
Upon his transition to the NFL, the 24-year-old wanted to continue to use as a part of his daily routine.
“He just made it a part of his routine every single day, making sure that every single minute that he had free to get better, he was making the most of it,” Kyle McCord, his quarterback while at Ohio State, once told The Republic.
Yet, that request was denied by the Cardinals and it’s unknown who made the decision within the organization.
Harrison, son of Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison, went on to make the hefty purchase himself.
The incident has resurfaced around Sunday’s trade, which occurred after Harrison expressed his unhappiness with a reduced role in the Cardinals offense. He was outperformed by fellow young receiver Michael Wilson, who agreed to a three-year, $75 million extension this offseason.
Houston also acquired a 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2027 second-rounder and a 2027 sixth-rounder to Arizona.
The move makes Harrison the fourth of the six top-10 picks by the Cardinals in the past decade to leave the organization.
The other two include lineman Paris Johnson Jr., who is out for the season with a torn left bicep, and rookie running back Jeremiuah Love, who is not providing early impressions.
The Cardinals are 16-39 under general manager Monti Ossenfort, who said the team needed to “continue to develop” its core of young players during the offseason.
Yet, the organization let go of one of its young top players.
Harrison tallied 62 receptions for 880 yards and eight touchdowns in his rookie season. Last year, he only had 608 yards for four touchdowns in 12 games.
Before his trade was reported, he was listed as inactive for Sunday’s 45-21 loss to the Lions.
With his move to Houston, Harrison will be reuniting with former Buckeyes teammate quarterback CJ Stroud. During his final college season with the quarterback, he racked up 1,263 yards for 14 touchdowns.
The Texans earned their first win of the season on Sunday, 26-3 over the Titans.
They will travel to London in Week 6 to face the Jaguars at Wembley Stadium.
