As Marvin Harrison Jr. prepares for a critical Year 2 with the Arizona Cardinals, one of the franchise’s all-time greats is ready to lend a hand.
Cardinals icon Larry Fitzgerald recently revealed he’s open to mentoring Harrison Jr. as the 2024 No. 4 overall pick heads into a critical sophomore season.
Speaking at a charity softball event hosted by quarterback Kyler Murray, Fitzgerald said the two have already begun building a relationship.
“If he ever needs anything, I told him, I’m always available for him any way I can be helpful,” Fitzgerald told The Arizona Republic’s Theo Mackie. “But fortunately, he has a father who was a heck of a lot better than I was, so he can tap into him whenever he likes.”
Fitzgerald is, of course, referencing Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr., one of the most dominant wideouts in NFL history during his time with the Indianapolis Colts. However, Fitzgerald’s wasn’t too shabby himself. At the time of his retirement in 2020, he ranked second in NFL history in receptions (1,432) and receiving yards (17,492) — all with Arizona.
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As for Harrison Jr., his rookie season may not have matched the unrealistic fantasy expectations some fans held, but it was far from a disappointment. He finished with 62 catches for 885 yards — fifth among all rookies — and led the team with eight touchdown grabs.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort made it clear he’s thrilled with the early returns.
“We are incredibly happy with where Marv is and where he’s going,” Ossenfort said at the NFL Combine, per CBS Sports. “I’d say a unique thing about Marv’s production, if you compare, some of those unrealistic expectations from a fantasy football perspective were just that — unrealistic. If you take a step back and look, and Marv was our leading touchdown receiver, he was our second-leading receiver in terms of receptions and yardage behind a tight end (Trey McBride) who had a near-historic season.”
Head coach Jonathan Gannon echoed that sentiment in a recent interview with SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio (h/t Kevin Patra), saying Harrison Jr. has attacked the offseason with renewed focus.
“He played unbelievable ball for us,” Gannon said, via NFL.com. “But if you talk to him, he’d be the first to say he needs to improve. He went to work on it. He looks awesome out there right now.”
With Fitzgerald in his corner and another offseason of growth under his belt, Harrison Jr. could be poised to live up to — and maybe even exceed — the high expectations that come with his name.
“I saw a guy who made a lot of plays,” Fitzgerald said. “He did a really good job. When the ball came to him, he made his plays. He’s only gonna continue to get better so I’m excited to see his Year 2.”
