Marvin Harrison Jr. wasted no time making an impact in Arizona. As a rookie, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft delivered on high expectations, finishing with 62 receptions for 885 yards and eight touchdowns. The performance offered a glimpse into what the Cardinals believe will be a dominant career, but inside the building, there’s the belief that the best is still to come.
Arizona Cardinals Head Coach: Harrison ‘Has Went to Work on Them’
That belief starts with head coach Jonathan Gannon, who said during a recent interview that Harrison’s second season could be a breakout year. Between the early signs in OTAs and the wideout’s dedication to offseason training, Gannon painted a picture of a player poised to make a “huge” leap — and potentially join the ranks of the NFL’s elite pass-catchers as early as 2025.
Appearing on “Rise and Schein” on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio channel, Gannon didn’t hesitate when asked about his expectations for Harrison in Year 2. “When the staff is in place, the jump from Year 1 to Year 2, I think that’s where guys make a huge jump,” Gannon said. “This guy played unbelievable ball for us, but if you talk to him, he’d be the first to tell you, like, ‘I need to get better at these couple things,’ and, man, he has went to work on them. He looks awesome out there right now.”
Dawg: The Cardinals are expecting WR Marvin Harrison Jr. to make a ‘HUGE’ jump in year two 👀
“When the staff is in place, the jump from Year 1 to Year 2, I think that’s where guys make a huge jump. This guy played unbelievable ball for us, but if you talk to him, he’d be the… pic.twitter.com/kv87dvctuL
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman)
It’s not just physical improvements that have the coaching staff optimistic. Gannon highlighted Harrison’s professional mindset and self-driven approach to improvement. “I normally meet with guys about their developmental plan when we’re done with the year,” he said. “When I had my meeting with him, he came up to me and he handed me a piece of paper. … The guy’s a ready-made pro. He does all the right things.”
According to Gannon, Harrison spent the offseason at the team facility — with the exception of one week away training with a group of other NFL receivers — and returned with visible progress. “He was here the whole offseason. I think he added a little bit of muscle mass. He looks a little bit bigger. All his numbers, his metrics are all better than when we got him.”
While Gannon stopped short of making any public statistical predictions, his confidence in Harrison’s trajectory was unmistakable. “I’m not gonna speak truth into the universe,” Gannon said, “but just wait until this guy plays this year.”
Harrison’s rookie production has drawn comparisons to his father, Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr., whose own debut season in 1996 saw him catch 64 passes for 836 yards and eight touchdowns. If the younger Harrison follows a similar trajectory, it won’t be long before he’s a Pro Bowl regular, just like his dad — and maybe even sooner.
Of course, all of that is dependent on the play and health of Arizona’s quarterback, Kyler Murray. 2024 marked the second-best of his career, trailing only his standout 2021 campaign. It was also the first time since that year that Murray played all 17 games, and the Cardinals reaped the benefits.
While Murray ended the season 16th in PFSN’s QB+ metrics, the unit as a whole finished fifth (between the Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders) in Offense+ metrics. Still, it was not enough to make the postseason. Not coincidentally, the Cardinals last made the playoffs in Murray’s dominant 2021 season. Before then, it had been six years — and three head coaches — since Arizona went beyond the regular season.