Marvin Harrison Jr. will make his Houston Texans debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday (US time), just days after arriving from the Arizona Cardinals in a trade.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans confirmed on Wednesday (US time) that Harrison will play, ESPN reported. The receiver only arrived in Houston on Monday, passed his physical that day and practised with his new team for the first time on Wednesday.
Ryans revealed the trade after Houston’s 26-3 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, and the club formally announced it on Monday, Yahoo Sports reported. The Texans sent a 2027 second-round pick to Arizona in a deal that also included a swap of late-round 2027 picks, according to ESPN and ABC13 Houston.
“I think the team as a whole it’s a great situation for me,” Harrison said. “Being with a quarterback that you have rapport with and had success with in the past is always great too.”
Harrison and quarterback C.J. Stroud were teammates at Ohio State in 2021 and 2022, when both were All-Americans. “Just excited, man,” Harrison said, according to NFL.com. “Always watched the Texans from afar, watching C.J., so it’s pretty surreal to be playing with him now again and, like I said, just help him out the best I can.”
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Fresh start after Arizona
The No. 4 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft has 108 catches for 1,578 yards and 13 touchdowns in 33 games, ESPN reported, including five catches for 85 yards and a touchdown from 13 targets this season. NFL.com noted his rookie year, when he had 62 catches for 885 yards and eight touchdowns, remains his best.
Asked why it had not worked out in Arizona, Harrison said he was “going to take accountability”. “I think it’s just a combination of everything,” he said. “I don’t think I can pinpoint one thing. There’s a lot of factors, and I think with any situation, you always want to take accountability for yourself.”
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Ryans said he was not worried about how quickly Harrison would learn the playbook, citing his work ethic. “It isn’t hard when the player is attentive and he’s locked in on getting the details down,” Ryans said, adding that Harrison spent his first night working late with assistant receivers coach Tiquan Underwood.
Stroud was just as relaxed. “He’s a really smart kid. I’m not worried about it,” he said.
What’s next
Harrison joins a receiver room led by Nico Collins, alongside Xavier Hutchinson and Jaylin Noel, as the 1-4 Texans try to build on their first win of the season. Stroud ranks fourth in the NFL with 1,402 passing yards through five weeks, according to ESPN.
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