Texans trade for Cardinals' Harrison, reunite WR with QB Stroud

The Houston Texans have completed a trade for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters.

The Texans sent 2027 second- and sixth-round draft picks to the Cardinals for Harrison and a 2027 seventh-round selection, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Harrison that is inactive for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions as the trade was completed. Harrison was not at the Cardinals team meetings Saturday night, sources told ESPN's Josh Weinfuss.

With the trade, Harrison is reunited with C.J. Stroud, his quarterback at Ohio State for two seasons (2021-22).

Harrison has been the center of trade speculation for weeks as he got off to a slower-than-expected start to the season. He had just one catch in the first two games, fueling chatter that his time in Arizona could be coming to an end this season, short of his rookie contract ending.

Harrison has five catches on 12 targets for 85 yards and a touchdown through four games this season as the fifth-most-targeted player on the Cardinals offense. Tight end Trey McBride, wide receivers Michael Wilson and Kendrick Bourne, and running back Jeremiyah Love all have more targets than Harrison, who was tied with the sixth-most receptions.

Harrison's only touchdown of the season came in last Sunday's 36-24 loss to the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. After the touchdown, while sitting on the turf, Harrison raised his right index finger to the mouth area of his face mask to indicate a "shush" motion. Asked Thursday about what message he wanted to get across with the celebration, Harrison said: "No message."

He said this week that he hasn't paid attention to the trade speculation. But on Sept. 23, Harrison hired Todd France and Tory Dandy as his agents, according to the NFLPA online database. Harrison did not have an agent prior to then.

The No. 4 pick in the 2024 draft, Harrison has 1,578 receiving yards and 13 touchdown catches in 33 games with the Cardinals. He hasn't reached 1,000 yards in a season and dealt with foot injuries and appendicitis last season that led to him playing in just 12 games in which he caught 41 passes for 608 yards and four touchdowns.

As a rookie, Harrison had 885 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 62 catches.

France and Dandy have engineered high-powered trades before, with France working behind the scenes on the Brian Burns trade to the Giants, while Dandy was integral in the A.J. Brown trade to the New England Patriots. The hope had been to work on a trade quietly,

Harrison is due $4 million this year and $5.62 million next year. He also has a fifth-year option decision coming up this offseason. His $22.5 million signing bonus was already paid by the Cardinals.