Jonathan Gannon Gives Two-Word Answer on Marvin Harrison Jr. Injury

Marvin Harrison Jr. is out for the Arizona Cardinals - and nobody knows when he'll next suit up.

Nov 3, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) scores a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals have already ruled out star receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. for Week 11's home date against the San Francisco 49ers, as the former No. 4 overall pick had surgery for appendicitis earlier this week.

The Cardinals move into Sunday's action without Harrison - but what's his potential timeline for return? Recovering from the removal of an appendix can be tricky, and as of now, when exactly Harrison returns is up for grabs.

When asked on Harrison's timeline for return, Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon offered a simple two-word answer:

"We'll see."

When Could Marvin Harrison Jr. Actually Return?

The Cardinals have already ruled Harrison out for this week, and judging off other NFL players who have experienced the same - this could be an issue for multiple weeks.

The Arizona Republic's Theo Mackie pointed out some other NFL players who have missed time due to appendicitis, and the small sample size showed at least two games missed for each:

• In 2020, RB Alexander Mattison missed 2 games
• In 2022, OL David Bakhtiari missed 3 games
• In 2023, OL Peter Skoronski missed 3 games

The Cardinals host San Francisco this week while the Jacksonville Jaguars come to town in Week 12.

Cardinals Have Massive Hole to Fill

Harrison, the team's top receiver, was a big part of the Cardinals' passing attack. On top of losing Harrison, Arizona is also down Zay Jones and Simi Fehoko as well.

Case in point, the Cardinals are shorthanded on the offensive side of the ball entering a matchup where it's practically must-win territory to keep any sliver of postseason hopes alive.

Harrison's presence alone on the field drew attention from defenders, and his absence now allows even more attention to be focused on star tight end Trey McBride.

With Arizona already struggling to run the ball, the Cardinals could now be even less dynamic than before.

READ: 3 Immediate Takeaways From Marvin Harrison Jr. Injury

Names such as Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch and Xavier Weaver will have to step up.

Cardinals Know 49ers Bring Tough Task

Even without Harrison, the Cardinals were underdogs to the 49ers.

“Yeah, buckle up. There's no doubt. It's not easy, there's no doubt about that," Gannon said of San Francisco.

"Any week is not going to be easy. From a defensive perspective, this week presents a lot of challenges that other weeks don't present.”

It will be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Drew Petzing adapts to his game plan with Harrison fully out of the picture.

Harrison has 34 receptions for 525 yards and four touchdowns this season.