Waiting to find out which mystery franchise has acquired wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. from the Arizona Cardinals is like the Temu version of waiting for LeBron James' decision. Multiple reports confirmed the former 2024 first-round pick is definitely leaving the desert but speculation over where he will land has spanned the entire continent.
Five teams emerged Saturday morning as the likeliest destinations after the news broke but that could be narrowed down to three clubs due to asking price disparities. The Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts (as well as the Philadelphia Eagles) were apparently no longer interested in the former Ohio State Buckeye, per NFL reporter Arye Pulli, because the Cardinals were asking for a 2027 second-rounder in return.
For the sake of this exercise — determining the best fit for Harrison post-Arizona — let's leave the Chiefs and Colts involved. Despite the Houston Texans being the reported favorite to land Harrison, negotiations could always evolve to allow more competitive offers to emerge.
5. Buffalo Bills
Harrison was drafted to be a franchise-altering talent and he displayed that kind of promise while at Ohio State. Yet, he didn't do much to prove he could turn the Cardinals' fortunes around after two seasons and then some. To be fair, Arizona is one of the most poorly run organizations in the league, so he was going to be playing from behind from the jump. If he were to land with the Buffalo Bills, his championship prospects go sky high immediately.
However, he probably wouldn't be the impact player most fans would hope him to be with Josh Allen. Harrison was drafted to be a WR1 and despite not being such a player in Arizona, he'd probably fall even further down the depth chart in Buffalo. Allen already has DJ Moore (regardless of health), Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman in his wide receiver room to work with. On top of that, a good share of targets already go to tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox. Harrison could be provide a clutch play or two for the Bills, but his career and legacy overall will be a footnote.
4. Houston Texans
Quarterback C.J. Stroud needs weapons. Wide receiver Nico Collins can't do it alone and there are only so much that other pass catchers like Kayshon Boutte (acquired in August) and Dalton Schultz can do to assist. Bringing in a familiar face for Stroud to work with could jumpstart the winless operation. Stroud and Harrison were a constant connection for the Buckeyes in 2021 and 2022. The pair racked up 1,402 yards and 17 touchdowns together in Columbus which is only about 200 yards short of his NFL career total.
While a college reunion would be quite nice from a PR perspective, Houston's upside this season is extremely limited. There's not going to be a rare 9-win turnaround like it did last year after starting 0-3 and the Texans won't repeat the magic of the 1992 San Diego Chargers, who made the playoffs after starting 0-4. So, even with Harrison potentially boosting the offense, his acquisition would come with a long-term vision with his rookie contract expiring after the 2027-28 campaign.
3. Indianapolis Colts
Now what a homecoming this would be. Like father, like son. Marvin Harrison Jr. could try to harness the legacy of his father by landing in Indianapolis, but he certainly wouldn't be playing with a future Hall of Fame passing talent like Peyton Manning, that's for sure. Quarterback Daniel Jones has quieted his haters ever since arriving at Lucas Oil Stadium and could use some receiving depth with the injury bug ravaging the offense this year. The team is paying big money to Alec Pierce to be the WR1, but he only caught the ball five times for 72 yards before going down with a heel injury.
Keenan Allen, Josh Downs and Tyler Warren have done what they can to pick up the slack but the offense has essentially reverted to relying on running back Jonathan Taylor. Harrison, outside the good PR, would give Jones an additional high-level target (in theory) or, at the very least, draw a critical defender away from someone else he could hit downfield. Unlike Houston, the playoff potential is higher with the team sitting at .500 entering Week 5.
2. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are apparently among Harrison's preferred landing spots and that's understandably so. Despite the low likelihood of immediate success on the field, he would enjoy the benefit of no income tax by living in Florida. The Dolphins have money to spend in the long term, so getting a new contract out of them could be more lucrative than elsewhere too. Landing in Miami would clearly be a future investment instead of trying to "win now."
Looking back on the field, quarterback Malik Willis is clearly a transitionary piece but could prove himself to be a long-term starter. Adding Harrison improves those odds considerably, especially after the team traded away Jaylen Waddle during the offseason. Willis has had to deal with Malik Washington as a top option and he's only managed to accrue 219 receiving yards (zero TDs) to date. Harrison would immediately be Willis' WR1 and would be given a clean slate to reestablish himself as the first-round talent he was believed to be.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
If the Chiefs decide to get back in on negotiations, Harrison should pray he lands in Kansas City. Besides playing with Patrick Mahomes, the team is significantly hampered at the wideout position and he would have increased opportunity to play for a postseason contender. The Chiefs lost Tyquan Thornton to a potentially season-ending ankle injury in Week 4 and saw Rashee Rice suffer a hamstring strain in the same game. That leaves Xavier Worthy and Travis Kelce as the only surefire options for Mahomes.
Snagging Harrison would give head coach Andy Reid a younger talent to pair with Worthy as the deep threat in the offense. Of course, there have been reports the Chiefs may reunite with Tyreek Hill but he's 32 years old and doesn't have the same speed he was known for all those years ago before leaving for Miami. Hill being a cheaper option may be what's preventing Kansas City from dealing for Harrison too.
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