The Arizona Cardinals head coach has defended former Ohio State great Marvin Harrison from ongoing criticism.
Former Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. has seen a tough time in the NFL through the first few years of his career.
Despite entering the NFL with a ton of hype, Harrison hasn't lived up to the high expectations that he came into the league with. Harrison was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Buckeyes star was supposed to give Arizona another top-tier offensive weapon, but he has faltered through the first couple seasons. In college, Harrison was seen as one of the best players, putting up 2,613 yards and 31 touchdowns in three season at Ohio State.
But in the NFL, Harrison has struggled, leading to questions about his desire to play the game of football. However, Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur pushed back on this, defending his wide receiver from the ongoing criticism.
"I think his running style is different than some other people's," LaFleur said. "If that's people's narrative on him, that's fine, but I know his teammates don't feel that way."
Having his coach defend him has to feel good, but the criticism around Harrison isn't going away until he proves himself on the field. The former Ohio State star has a lot of talent, but he just hasn't been able to put it together in the NFL.
Harrison has dealt with an ongoing quarterback turnstile with the Cardinals, but other guys around the league have made situations work. The Cardinals are hoping that Harrison can break out this season, showing what made him so special while with the Buckeyes.
In his rookie season with Arizona, Harrison caught 62 passes for 885 yards and eight touchdowns. But last year, he dropped down to 41 catches for 608 yards and four touchdowns over 12 games played.
Harrison got off to a solid start with 62 catches for 885 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie but saw his numbers drop to 41 catches for 608 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games during the 2025 campaign.
This season, Harrison has only recorded one catch for 33 yards, playing in two games for Arizona. His 2026 season hasn't gotten off to a good start, but there is still plenty of time for the former Buckeyes great to bounce back.
But if he can't, the narratives around Harrison will continue to grow louder and louder as time moves on. Ohio State has been known for being one of the best schools at developing NFL wide receiver talent over the years, but at least so far, Harrison has seemed to fall through the cracks.
