Marvin Harrison Jr. Says NFL Debut ‘Wasn’t Great’; Cardinals WR Had 1 Catch vs. Bills

Joseph Zucker@@JosephZuckerFeatured Columnist IVSeptember 12, 2024

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Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. offered an honest assessment of his NFL debut in a 34-28 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

“I mean obviously it wasn’t great,” he told reporters Wednesday. “Definitely wasn’t what I expected, what I wanted to happen, what the team wanted to happen. Obviously, you wanted to come out with a victory and we didn’t do that.”

Harrison was targeted three times and finished with one reception for four yards.

“I got to get open and catch the ball,” he said. “That’s my job as a receiver. That is your job description. That’s what I got to do a better job.”

The Bills held Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray to 162 yards and one touchdown on 21-of-31 passing, so the struggles extended beyond Harrison and covered the entire aerial attack.

It wasn’t just the raw production from the No. 4 overall pick that left some fans puzzled, though. He simply didn’t look sharp or explosive.

Sam Monson @SamMonsonNFLIf I hadn’t seen college tracking speed data for Marvin Harrison Jr and just had his Week 1 mph/tape plus skipping the 40 at the Combine I’d be terrified.

As it is, I’m merely confused.

Josh Norris @JoshNorristhe week 1 Marvin Harrison Jr. tape did not lie

he looked shockingly slow and uncertain https://t.co/LV6UDEF1gW pic.twitter.com/CzMXPvmhyK

The 22-year-old comes from receiving royalty and looked like a pro-caliber wideout midway through his sophomore season at Ohio State. Many assumed he’d hit the ground running with Arizona.

Harrison could go on to have a big rookie year, but Cardinals fans and fantasy football managers across the country already might be reassessing what they’re expecting from him. At the very least, he may be facing a longer adjustment period than first thought.