Marvin Harrison Jr. trade packages: What Cardinals could get for former No. 4 overall pick

These deals could move Harrison out of Arizona and help revitalize his career

Oct 7, 2026 at 1:01 pm ET • 5 min read

An elusive breakout season still has not materialized for Marvin Harrison Jr., and as the disappointing start to his career continues, the chances of the Arizona Cardinals moving on from him are at an all-time high. Teams have begun due diligence on a potential trade and reached out to the Cardinals to gauge his ability, according to ESPN.  While Arizona is reportedly "not all that enthralled with trading him," the wide receiver position is a seller's market with so many teams desperate for help, and the Cardinals could hear an offer they cannot decline.

What might that trade package look like? ESPN reports that Harrison's value slipped over the last three years from that of an early first-round pick to a "quality Day 3 pick." That is the assessment of at least one team placed on the former No. 4 overall selection.

The Cardinals hold all the leverage and could decline any offers that do not exceed that valuation. Harrison is a young asset under contract through 2027, and the Cardinals hold a club option for 2028. Plus, injuries across the league could spark a modest bidding war for a starting-caliber wide receiver.

Harrison appears in need of a change of scenery. The Ohio State product opened his career with an immensely promising 885-yard, eight-touchdown rookie season, but regressed over the last season and change. He has only five catches through the first four games of 2026 and is on pace for a career low in yardage. Harrison's effort has come into question, too, as he occasionally looks out of place in first-year coach Mike LaFleur's offense.

A fresh start in a new system might be in Harrison's best interest. His potential is still as high as nearly any young wide receiver in the NFL. As he slips behind tight end Trey McBride and fellow receiver Michael Wilson in the pecking order for targets in Arizona, though, his present situation is far from conducive to turning him into the star evaluators expected him to become when the Cardinals invested valuable Day 1 draft capital in him in 2024.

As teams kick the tires on a trade for Harrison, here are three potential deals that would make sense for all parties involved.

Mock trade No. 1

• Texans receive: Marvin Harrison Jr.
• Cardinals receive: 2027 third-round pick

This is the home-run scenario for the Cardinals. Given the Day 3 evaluation on Harrison, finding a team that would be willing to give up a Day 2 pick one-for-one is about as much as Arizona could ask for. The Houston Texans' desperation to improve an offense that continues to underwhelm and to climb out of an 0-4 hole to start the year makes them a prime candidate to spend up for a wide receiver.

Houston is a perfect landing spot for Harrison, and the Texans ought to feel as though they have as strong a chance to unlock his potential as anyone. They possess the quarterback in C.J. Stroud, who turned Harrison into an All-American at Ohio State. In 2022, Stroud connected with Harrison 77 times for 1,263 yards and an FBS-best 14 touchdowns. As Stroud and Harrison both face career crossroads, pairing them back up could help both salvage the less-than-stellar opening stages of their professional careers.

What's more, the Texans have a need at wide receiver now and into next season. They lack a bona fide No. 2 option behind Nico Collins and instead spread targets out evenly across multiple role players. Houston just opened Tank Dell's practice window, but as someone who has not played since 2024, it is reasonable to wonder how much he has to offer upon his return from a devastating knee injury. He, Xavier Hutchinson and Kayshon Boutte will all hit unrestricted free agency at the end of the season, whereas Harrison remains under club control for at least one more year, if not two.

Mock trade No. 2

• Raiders receive: Marvin Harrison Jr., 2027 seventh-round pick
• Cardinals receive: 2027 third-round pick

At 3-1 on the year, the Las Vegas Raiders are surprise AFC West contenders who might be buyers at the trade deadline -- with the caveat that they likely still want to remain fairly young and build around a budding core. Harrison fits this plan. He aligns with the roster's trajectory as a 24-year-old with upside and an already established base as a No. 1 receiver. Veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins could help him settle into Klint Kubiak's offense this year before he eventually settles in as a long-term pairing with this year's top overall pick, Fernando Mendoza.

The Raiders lack that go-to weapon on the outside that Mendoza will need in order to flourish once he takes over the offense. Brock Bowers is the top pass-catcher on the offense, but is a tight end. There is no wide receiver on the roster that projects as an obvious primary target; Las Vegas presently relies on Trey Trucker and Jalen Nailor while the duo of Jack Bech and Dont'e Thornton resides on injured reserve.

What makes buying at the deadline tricky for the Raiders is that they do not possess a sixth- or seventh-round pick in the 2027 draft. As a team that is still in the midst of a rebuild despite its early-season success, it may be opposed to coming out of this deal with only four remaining picks. Plus, the Raiders undoubtedly want to continue to stack young talent, so in order to part with Day 2 draft capital, they may seek a late-round throw-in alongside Harrison to get the deal over the finish line.

Mock trade No. 3

• Colts receive: Marvin Harrison Jr.
• Cardinals receive: 2027 fourth-round pick

ESPN may have dropped a hint that the Indianapolis Colts are among the teams that have called about a Harrison trade. When asked if the Colts were interested, he responded, "Wouldn't that make a lot of sense?" It certainly would have addressed their needs at wide receiver and Harrison's familial ties to the franchise.

Marvin Harrison Sr. spent the entirety of his Hall of Fame career with the Colts. If the younger Harrison were to join the team with which his father starred, the pressure to live up to his father's legacy could go one of two ways. It might either suffocate him or deliver the motivational spark he needs to get his career back on track.

Alec Pierce is on injured reserve with a heel injury and may never be at full strength this year following his offseason surgery, and depth is a major concern behind him -- to the point where the Colts signed Keenan Allen ahead of the campaign and still need help. Indianapolis does not have a first-round pick in 2027 and thus would seem likely to protect its remaining early-round capital. Plus, general manager Chris Ballard is already under scrutiny for overpaying on Sauce Gardner in last year's trade deadline blockbuster. With those factors in mind, the Colts may be less likely to spend up for Harrison and instead pay only the reported market rate for a fourth- or fifth-round pick.