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What Is Marvin Harrison Jr. Worth?

October 12, 2026

What Is Marvin Harrison Jr. Worth?

On October 11, 2026, the Arizona Cardinals traded Marvin Harrison Jr. and their 2027 seventh-round pick to the Houston Texans for Houston's 2027 second-round pick and 2027 sixth-round pick.123

Harrison was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 draft. He was 24 years old on the day of the trade.1

The return gives one answer. Arizona converted the fourth pick in the 2024 draft into a second-round pick and a sixth-round pick, and sent a seventh-round pick to Houston in the same deal.2

CBS Sports Research identified Harrison as the first wide receiver since Ahmad Rashad in 1974 to be traded within his first three seasons after being selected in the top five of the draft.4

The Arizona record

Harrison caught 62 passes for 885 yards and eight touchdowns on 116 targets as a rookie in 2024.5

The target order was set in that rookie season. Trey McBride led Arizona with 147 targets and a 29.3% target share. Harrison had 116 targets and a 22.2% share. Michael Wilson had 71 targets.6

In 2025, Harrison played 12 games and caught 41 passes for 608 yards and four touchdowns on 73 targets.5 He missed time with appendicitis and heel injuries.7

USA Today reported that Harrison was never on the same page with Kyler Murray the way McBride was. Wilson then built chemistry with Jacoby Brissett after Murray's injury, and that pushed Harrison further down the depth chart.3

Through four games in 2026, Harrison had five catches for 85 yards and one touchdown on 13 targets.5 He was inactive for Arizona's game against Detroit while the trade was finalized.3

His Arizona totals were 108 catches for 1,578 yards and 13 touchdowns in 33 games. That is 47.8 receiving yards per game.5

The tracking numbers point to a specific problem. Bill Barnwell's analysis of the trade reported that Harrison averaged 2.1 yards of separation when targeted, last in the NFL among wide receivers with at least 50 targets since 2024, and that his expected catch rate of 53.7% was fifth lowest at the position in that span.8

Harrison caught 53.5% of his career targets. The same analysis credited him with 34 receiving yards over expectation on 202 targets.85

Why Arizona sold

The New York Post reported that Harrison had expressed unhappiness with his reduced role in Arizona's offense before the trade.1

In March 2026, head coach Mike LaFleur said his job was to "unlock" Harrison. After the trade, LaFleur said: "We just thought it was in the best interest of this club."2

Arizona had already paid Wilson as its top receiver. Wilson agreed to a three-year, $75 million extension in the 2026 offseason after recording 56 catches for 775 yards and six touchdowns in the final eight games of 2025, on his way to a 1,000-yard season.1

ESPN's trade grades put the same point in depth-chart terms: Michael Wilson had already established himself as Arizona's No. 1 receiver, and Harrison's trade value stood to fall if Arizona waited until the offseason.9

The Arizona Republic's tally shows why a second-round pick mattered for a player with Harrison's production. Since 2000, 16 wide receivers drafted in the top 10 averaged under 50 yards per game through their first 33 career games. None of them, traded on his own, had ever brought back more than a fifth-round pick.2

Arizona's asking price matched the final return. Pro Football Network reported that ESPN's Stephen Holder had the Cardinals' asking price at least a second-round pick.10

Pro Football Rumors reported that at least three teams made serious inquiries about Harrison and that Houston's offer was the best Arizona received.11

Why Houston bought

Houston beat Tennessee 26-3 on October 11 for its first win of the season. The Texans were 1-4 after the game.1

The receiver room had a hole in it. Jayden Higgins tore his ACL in August. Houston acquired Kayshon Boutte from New England after the injury. Boutte managed 1.1 yards per route run, and Nico Collins missed two games.9

Stroud had a direct part in the decision. Pro Football Rumors reported that Houston's front office asked Stroud about Harrison and that Stroud's strong endorsement played a role in the trade.11

The college season behind that endorsement is specific. In 2022 at Ohio State, Harrison caught 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns with Stroud at quarterback.11

Stroud said after the trade: "I think he brings a dynamic playmaker, somebody who runs great routes." He added: "It's perfect for him."3

The contract made the bet cheaper than the draft picks suggest. An acquiring team took on about $776,000 for the rest of 2026 and $5.62 million in 2027.10 Barnwell's analysis projected Harrison's fifth-year option for 2028 at $17.2 million, putting the three-year total at $23.6 million if Houston picks it up.8

ESPN measured Harrison at 1.5 yards per route run for his Arizona career, in the 46th percentile among qualifying wide receivers since 2024. His 2026 mark was 0.6 yards per route run.9

Houston paid a second-round pick for a change in those numbers. The pick buys the rest of 2026, the 2027 season, and the option decision for 2028.8

What other receivers cost

A.J. Brown was also 24 when Tennessee traded him to Philadelphia in April 2022. The Eagles sent the No. 18 and No. 101 picks to the Titans.12

Brown arrived with a Pro Bowl selection and 185 catches for 2,995 yards and 24 touchdowns in 43 games.12

Tyreek Hill cost Miami five picks in March 2022: a first-, second- and fourth-round pick in 2022, plus a fourth- and sixth-round pick in 2023.13

Hill arrived as a three-time first-team All-Pro and a six-time Pro Bowler, with 479 catches for 6,630 yards and 56 touchdowns in 91 games for Kansas City.13

Houston has paid a second-round pick for a receiver before. In April 2024, the Texans acquired Stefon Diggs, a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick from Buffalo for a 2025 second-round pick.14

Diggs arrived on a streak of six straight seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards.14

Harrison arrived with a different résumé. His best Arizona season was 885 yards in 2024, and he had no 1,000-yard season in 33 games.5

That gap explains the shape of the three prices. Brown and Hill were traded as established No. 1 receivers and brought back first-round picks. Diggs was traded with six straight 1,000-yard seasons and brought back a second-round pick, with two late picks attached to his side of the deal.121314

Harrison brought back a second-round pick and a sixth-round pick at 24, with 1,578 career yards. His draft position and his remaining rookie contract carried the price. His Arizona production did not.210

What Arizona paid in 2024

Arizona's cost was the fourth pick in the 2024 draft and the contract attached to it. Harrison signed a four-year deal with a team option for a fifth season in 2028.15

The Cardinals reported the deal at $35.3 million guaranteed, with a $22.5 million signing bonus.15

Barnwell's analysis noted where the money sat. Arizona paid the $22.5 million signing bonus before Harrison's first game. Houston's share was the salary: $776,000 for the rest of 2026 and $5.6 million in 2027.8

That structure is part of the market. A team trading for Harrison in October 2026 paid in draft picks for a receiver whose signing bonus was already on Arizona's books.810

The Rashad precedent

On January 26, 1974, the St. Louis Cardinals traded Ahmad Rashad to the Buffalo Bills for quarterback Dennis Shaw.16

Rashad had been St. Louis's first-round pick two years earlier and made the NFL All-Rookie team with 29 catches for 500 yards and three touchdowns in 1972.16

He led Buffalo with 36 catches for 433 yards and four touchdowns in 1974. A knee injury in a 1975 exhibition game cost him that season.16

Rashad then played seven seasons in Minnesota and made four straight Pro Bowls from 1978 to 1981.16

Barnwell found the modern version of that outcome missing. He counted 12 top-10 picks since 1980 who were traded before the end of their third season, outside supplemental picks, suspensions and holdouts, and none of the 12 made a Pro Bowl after the trade.8

Houston's evaluation window is short. Barnwell noted that the Texans get the rest of the 2026 season to evaluate Harrison before deciding on the 2028 fifth-year option, and that the option call lets Houston decline the 2028 salary if Harrison stays at his Arizona level.8

Sources

  1. Texans finalize trade for Marvin Harrison Jr. from Cardinals after days of mystery (New York Post, October 11, 2026) — the trade terms, Harrison's age and No. 4 draft position, his unhappiness with a reduced role, Wilson's final eight games of 2025 and three-year, $75 million extension, Houston's 26-3 win over Tennessee
  2. Arizona Cardinals trade Marvin Harrison Jr. to Houston Texans (Arizona Republic / azcentral, October 11, 2026) — the trade terms, Harrison's Arizona totals (108 catches, 1,578 yards, 13 touchdowns, 33 games), the tally of top-10 receivers under 50 yards per game through 33 games and their trade returns, LaFleur's "unlock" comment from March 2026 and his post-trade "best interest of this club" quote
  3. Cardinals trade Marvin Harrison Jr. to Texans, DeMeco Ryans reveals (USA Today, October 11, 2026) — the trade terms, Harrison's 2026 and career numbers, the Murray-McBride connection and Wilson's chemistry with Brissett, Harrison's inactive status against Detroit, Stroud's "dynamic playmaker" and "It's perfect for him" quotes
  4. Marvin Harrison Jr. trade grades: Cardinals extract near-max value from Texans for former top-5 pick (BVM Sports, via CBS Sports, October 11, 2026) — the CBS Sports Research finding that Harrison is the first wide receiver since Ahmad Rashad in 1974 traded within his first three seasons after a top-five draft selection
  5. Marvin Harrison Jr. player page (Pro Football Reference, updated October 12, 2026) — season and career receiving lines: 2024 (62 catches, 885 yards, 8 touchdowns, 116 targets), 2025 (41 catches, 608 yards, 4 touchdowns, 73 targets, 12 games), 2026 with Arizona (5 catches, 85 yards, 1 touchdown, 13 targets, 4 games), career totals (108 catches, 1,578 yards, 13 touchdowns, 202 targets, 33 games, 47.8 yards per game)
  6. Fantasy Football 2025: Cardinals target share projections (DraftKings Network, August 13, 2025) — 2024 Arizona target totals and shares: McBride 147 targets at 29.3%, Harrison 116 at 22.2%, Wilson 71
  7. Marvin Harrison trade: Cardinals WR heads to Texans for draft picks (Cards Wire, October 11, 2026) — Harrison's 2025 missed time with appendicitis and heel injuries, his 2024 and 2025 receiving lines
  8. Making sense of the Giants-Commanders tie, Texans' Harrison trade (Bill Barnwell, TSN, October 12, 2026) — Harrison's separation and expected catch-rate numbers, the remaining contract figures ($776,000 for the rest of 2026, $5.6 million in 2027, a projected $17.2 million option for 2028, $23.6 million over three years), the $22.5 million signing bonus Arizona paid before Harrison's first game, the count of 12 top-10 picks since 1980 traded before the end of a third season and their Pro Bowl outcomes, Houston's evaluation window before the option decision
  9. NFL trade deadline grades: Marvin Harrison Jr., Cam Jurgens (ESPN, October 12, 2026) — the trade terms, Harrison's 1.5 yards per route run and 46th percentile, his 0.6 mark in 2026, Higgins's August ACL tear, Boutte's 1.1 yards per route run and Collins's two missed games, Wilson established as Arizona's No. 1 receiver and the case against waiting until the offseason
  10. 'Cardinals Are Trying to Drive Up Marvin Harrison Jr.'s Trade Value' — NFL Executive Theorizes on Bizarre ESPN Announcement (Pro Football Network, October 10, 2026) — Arizona's asking price of at least a second-round pick, per ESPN's Stephen Holder; the acquiring team's remaining cost of about $776,000 for 2026 and $5.62 million in 2027, with the fifth-year option decision due this offseason
  11. Cardinals, Texans Complete Marvin Harrison Jr. Trade (Pro Football Rumors, October 11, 2026) — the trade terms, serious inquiries from at least three teams and Houston's offer as the best Arizona received, Stroud's endorsement after Houston's front office asked him about Harrison, the 2022 Ohio State line (77 catches, 1,263 yards, 14 touchdowns)
  12. Eagles acquire Pro Bowl WR A.J. Brown in a blockbuster trade with the Titans (Philadelphia Eagles, April 2022) — the Brown trade terms (No. 18 and No. 101 picks), Brown's age (24), Pro Bowl selection, and Tennessee totals (185 catches, 2,995 yards, 24 touchdowns, 43 games)
  13. Dolphins acquire Hill from Kansas City (Miami Dolphins, March 2022) — the Hill trade terms (2022 first-, second- and fourth-round picks; 2023 fourth- and sixth-round picks), Hill's three first-team All-Pro selections, six Pro Bowls, and Kansas City totals (479 catches, 6,630 yards, 56 touchdowns, 91 games)
  14. Here are a few key tidbits of information about Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs and the deal that was made to acquire him (Houston Texans, April 2024) — the Diggs trade terms (Diggs, a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick to Houston for a 2025 second-round pick), Diggs's streak of six straight 1,000-yard seasons
  15. Marvin Harrison Jr. signs first NFL contract with Arizona Cardinals, a four-year deal (Arizona Cardinals, May 23, 2024) — the four-year contract with a team option for a fifth season in 2028, the reported $35.3 million guaranteed and $22.5 million signing bonus
  16. Why the Cardinals Traded Ahmad Rashad (The Big Red Zone, January 26, 2025) — the January 26, 1974 trade of Rashad from St. Louis to Buffalo for Dennis Shaw, Rashad's All-Rookie 1972 season, his 1974 Buffalo line, the 1975 knee injury, and his seven Minnesota seasons with four straight Pro Bowls from 1978 to 1981
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About this article: it was drafted with AI assistance from the Football Trade Trees database and public reporting, then reviewed by a human editor. Spot an error? Email [email protected].