Larry Fitzgerald Has a Simple Reason He's Not Mentoring Marvin Harrison Jr. More

Larry Fitzgerald says he’s always there for Marvin Harrison Jr., he just might not be needed that much.

Larry Fitzgerald speaks with reporters. / @AZSports / X

When the Arizona Cardinals drafted Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth pick of the 2024 NFL draft, it wasn’t hard to start the comparisons to franchise legend Larry Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald, who will easily make his entry to the Pro Football Hall of Fame now that he is eligible, was a stalwart for the Cardinals, playing all 17 seasons of his professional career in Arizona, where he established himself as one of the greatest receivers in the history of the league.

With Harrison stepping into the role of star receiver just after Fitzgerald departed, one might think that Fitz was an easy confidant for Harrison when he joined the league. Speaking with reporters while attending a celebrity softball game organized by Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, Fitzgerald had nothing but praise for Harrison, and said he was available for advice any time he was needed—although he understood his phone might not be ringing that often.

“He’s a lovely young man,” Fitzgerald said. “But I just try to stay out of the way. If he ever needs anything, I told him I’m always available for him, any way that I can be helpful, but fortunately he has a father who was a heck of a lot better than I was, so he can tap into him whenever he likes.”

"He knows I'm available, but unfortunately he has a father who was a heck of a lot better than I was."

Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald on if he has given any advice to Marvin Harrison Jr. pic.twitter.com/mwDEL1d9bH

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) May 18, 2025

Fitzgerald is being kind here, as both he and Harrison Sr. are among the most prolific receivers in history. Fitzgerald has 1,432 career receptions, trailing only Jerry Rice on the all-time list. Harrison Sr. has the fifth spot on the list, and is third among wide receivers with 1,102 career receptions—and all of his catches came in a career that was four years shorter than Fitzgerald’s.

Jokes aside, Fitzgerald clearly thinks extremely highly of the younger Harrison’s game. “I saw a guy who made a lot of plays,” Fitzgerald said. “He did a really good job. When the ball came to him, he made his plays. He's only gonna continue to get better, so I'm excited to see his year two.”

Indeed, with a father like Marvin Harrison Sr.—already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame—the younger Harrison has no shortage of sage advice to lean on. Still, it’s good to hear that one Cardinals legend is ready to help should the next generation of the team’s stars need his assistance.

---

More NFL on Sports Illustrated

feed