Cardinals trade Marvin Harrison Jr. to Texans after equipment request dispute

The Arizona Cardinals traded first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Houston Texans on Sunday. The move follows reports that the 24-year-old’s request for a Seeker catching machine, a robotic throwing device valued at about $50,000, was rejected by the Cardinals organization. Harrison, who used the equipment at Ohio State, purchased the machine himself after the denial.

According to the Arizona Republic, the request surfaced early in Harrison’s rookie season, and the decision-maker within the team was not identified. The trade also sent a 2027 seventh-round selection to Houston in exchange for a 2027 second-round and a 2027 sixth-round pick.

Harrison, the son of Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison, recorded 62 receptions for 880 yards and eight touchdowns in his first NFL season, improving on his 2023 totals of 608 yards and four scores. He had been listed as inactive for Arizona’s 45-21 loss to the Detroit Lions prior to the trade.

In Houston, Harrison will join former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud, with whom he compiled 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns in their final college season together. The Texans earned their first win of the season with a 26-3 victory over the Tennessee Titans and are scheduled to travel to London for a Week 6 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium.

"He just made it a part of his routine every single day, making sure that every single minute that he had free to get better, he was making the most of it," former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord said in a prior interview, describing Harrison’s work ethic at the college level.

General manager Monti Ossenfort noted that the organization needed to continue developing its young core during the offseason, even as it parts with one of its recent top-10 draft selections.