Marvin Harrison Jr. has just one measly catch for 33 yards through the first two games of the 2026 NFL season. Let that sink in. This isn’t just a slow start for any receiver, it’s a cold, hard fact for the former No. 4 overall pick in the NFL Draft, who was touted as one of the best wide receiver prospects in years coming out of Ohio State. He’s already been disappointing through his first two years, and this current cold streak is raising some serious alarms.
Harrison’s Disappearing Act Is More Than Just Bad Luck
The raw stats for Harrison are ugly, but when you dive into the rate metrics, it gets even worse. Jacoby Brissett has targeted him a grand total of four times in two games, a number that ties him for fifth on the team with a running back, Tyler Allgeier. Forget about being a featured receiver; five different Cardinals players have more grabs than Harrison right now, including *both* of the team’s running backs. Kendrick Bourne, the ostensible No. 3 wideout, has more than twice as many targets with 11 and a whopping ten times as many catches, hitting double digits at 10.
When you look at the league context, it’s truly astounding. Out of 103 wide receivers who’ve run 25 or more routes this year, Harrison ranks 100th in target rate at a shocking 6.5%. Guys like Konata Mumpfield and Kevin Coleman Jr. are getting targeted more often on a per-route basis. And for yards per route run? He’s 92nd in that group, clocking in at a dismal 0.52 yards. Even players like Jahan Dotson and Isaiah Williams are generating more yardage per route. This isn’t just a bad start; it’s a full-blown disappearance act.
The Cardinals Are Using Harrison All Wrong, And It Shows
So what’s the deal in Arizona? It looks like the way Harrison is being deployed in their offense is actively working against him getting volume. Among those 103 receivers who’ve run 25-plus routes, Harrison is averaging the farthest route depth, with his average break coming an incredible 12.83 yards downfield. That number would have led the entire league last season! We’re talking pure deep-threat usage, akin to guys like AD Mitchell and Alec Pierce.
His route distribution screams deep ball or nothing. Harrison has run 62 routes so far, and 19 of those, or 30.6%, have been go routes. That’s the fifth-highest go-route rate among those 103 receivers. Add in his 12.9% post-route rate, which ranks 23rd, and you see that nearly half of his routes, 43.5% combined, are designed for him to be a pure deep threat. If he keeps this up, he’s going to go down as a huge draft bust. The Cardinals have to figure out how to get their former top-5 pick more involved and change up his usage, or this problem is just going to keep getting worse.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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