Why Arizona Cardinals fans still can't buy a Marvin Harrison Jr. jersey
Want a minted Arizona Cardinals Marvin Harrison Jr. jersey? Sorry, that's not going to happen — at least not yet.
The No. 4 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft still hasn't signed a preliminary NFLPA licensing agreement, ESPN reported Thursday. As a result, Harrison's Cardinals merchandise isn't for sale. At his introductory press conference with the Cardinals last week, Harrison said he would "do what's best for me moving forward" regarding licensing.
It's also unknown what number Harrison will wear with Arizona. He wore No. 18 at Ohio State, but that number is worn by defensive end BJ Ojulari. His father — Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison Sr. — wore No. 88. But the Cardinals retired No. 88 in 1979 to honor J.V. Cain, who died during a Cardinals practice that summer.
The Cardinals were widely regarded as a prime candidate to move down from No. 4 in the draft, as it was deemed unlikely they would select a quarterback given the presence of Kyler Murray on their roster. But the Cardinals ultimately stayed at No. 4 and took Harrison, who will presumably be their No. 1 wide receiver from the jump, especially in the wake of Marquise Brown leaving for the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency.
Harrison was a two-time All-American at Ohio State and one of the elite receivers in the country. From 2022-23, Harrison averaged 72 receptions for 1,237 yards and 14 touchdowns per season, which came with two different quarterbacks (C.J. Stroud in 2022 and Kyle McCord in 2023). Harrison was the 2023 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.
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As for the rest of their draft, the Cardinals made a bevy of Day 1 and 2 selections, adding Missouri's Darius Robinson (No. 27), Rutgers' Max Melton (No. 43), Florida State's Trey Benson (No. 66), Illinois' Isaiah Adams (No. 71) and Tip Reiman (No. 82) and Boston College's Elijah Jones (No. 90).
The Cardinals are coming off a 4-13 season.
Considering he was a top-five pick, and essentially a legend at Ohio State, expectations are certainly high for Harrison, at least at the sportsbooks.
At DraftKings Sportsbook, Harrison is second on the oddsboard to win Offensive Rookie of the Year at +600, trailing only Caleb Williams (+200). He is also favored to lead all rookies in receiving yards (+175).
Harrison's Over/Under receiving yards total is 1000.5, and his Over/Under for receiving touchdowns is set at 6.5. For context, no other rookie pass-catcher has an Over/Under set at 1,000 yards or more.
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