Cardinals Get Honest on Marvin Harrison Jr. Usage

The Arizona Cardinals need to get the ball more to their best weapon.

Aug 16, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) before the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals are 2-0, though that hasn't come without massive debate or scrutiny.

The Cardinals have nearly blown second half leads in both of their games to begin the 2025 season, and from top to bottom the organization has been under fire.

Perhaps the biggest storyline has been the performance of second-year wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. - particularly after the Carolina game where he was essentially a non-factor.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon addressed this in his press conference earlier this week:

Cardinals Tackle Marvin Harrison Jr. Issue

Arizona Cardinals players, including Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) and James Conner (6), prepare to take the field to play the Carolina Panthers at State Farm Stadium on Sept 14, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“It doesn't concern me," Gannon said after Harrison's two catches on Sunday.

"He's one of the guys that the passing game goes through, so I think we need more production there. The play that goes overlooked is a huge DPI (defensive pass interference) early in the game. That's a huge play for us. (He) had a couple of catches. I'm sure he wants some plays back, but he needs his touches.

"I know that for us to be effective overall as an offense. They did some things that they were very aware of Marv though, I will say that too.”

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Many fans believe the former No. 4 overall pick isn't being utilized properly. Harrison finished with less targets (5) than backup running back Trey Benson (6) in Week 2.

Sep 14, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) runs the ball defended by Carolina Panthers linebacker Christian Rozeboom (56) during the third quarter at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

“If you look at how the game goes, how many plays did we have? 53 or something. It’s kind of a different game there at the end. Honestly, I never really look at targets as what needs to happen," Gannon continued.

"The ball's going to go where the balls go. I know he has a certain number of plays that he's the read in. If they decide to play a coverage, they have a say too. If they decide to play a coverage that the ball's not going to go there, it's not going to go there. With saying that, I know he needs to touch the football for our offense to be at its premium.”

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Arizona's offense stalled in the second half, not putting up any more points after their first drive in the third quarter.

That, combined with a soft zone defense, allowed the Panthers to crawl their way back into the game despite being down 27-3.

The Cardinals are undefeated thus far, and in a black-and-white business that only values results instead of gray areas, that's what matters at the end of the day.

However, Harrison still needs to be a focal point of Arizona's offense - and while every week won't see him rake in touchdowns or double digit targets, it's clear the Cardinals need to rev their Maserati a bit more.