The Arizona Cardinals are heading into week five of the 2026 NFL season on uneven footing.
This comes after the franchise lost to the New York Giants in gut-wrenching fashion on Sunday. Head coach Mike LaFleur is juggling many different responsibilities through an up-and-down 1-3 start, including finding ways to get blue-chip receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. touches in an expansive skill position arrangement.
Harrison Jr. did manage to score a touchdown on Sunday, but trade chatter remains rampant regardless. Follow the recent developments following week four below.
Cardinals Receive Trade Interest From Franchise Familiar to Harrison
While the Cardinals seem unlikely to part with Harrison at the moment, that doesn’t mean interest will be at zero.
This became more clear on Monday, when Adam Schefter of ESPN levied that the Indianapolis Colts have made a call to Arizona in expressing trade interest for the third-year prodigy (Pat McAfee Show).
The Colts in particular are an intriguing trade partner. Harrison’s father spent the entirety of his 13-year Hall of Fame career with the Colts, adding a layer of familiarity to this possible pairing. The Colts are also in need of receiving help, as Josh Downs and Alec Pierce doesn’t seem to be cutting it at the moment.
The trade conversations will be fascinating to follow over the next month, as the clock is ticking for the Cardinals.
All Parties Facing Pressure in Weeks Ahead
Each side of the equation is facing as much pressure as the other over the next month.
From the Cardinals’ perspective, both GM Monti Ossenfort and LaFleur are facing heat. Ossenfort made the decision to select Harrison fourth overall in the 2024 draft. He now must decide if the Ohio State product is part of the future of the organization. Several areas must be addressed, including future contract value, trade value at the moment, and team chemistry.
LaFleur is facing pressure to ensure that Harrison is a part of the offense. Trey McBride and Michael Wilson are dominating volume in the passing game, but finding creative ways to involve Harrison remains imperative. The next few weeks will be crucial in finding out if this is tenable.
From Harrison’s perspective, he is facing pressure to return to rookie year form. The former top-five draft selection is receiving scrutiny from the outside world due to a myriad of factors. This is the opportunity for the third-year pass catcher to shed criticism and break-out fully as the star he can be.
Luckily for Harrison, the Cardinals are facing an ideal matchup to satisfy this need. Arizona is taking on the Detroit Lions and their porous secondary on Oct. 11 in a major opportunity for Harrison to re-establish himself.
The coming weeks will be telling in the way of deciding whether Harrison is a long-term member of the Cardinals or not. As pressure to make things work mounts, trade rumors, outside scrutiny, and pressure to win games remains for a franchise that is currently in a soft rebuild.
Cardinals’ Marvin Harrison Jr. Floated as Trade Candidate for Familiar NFL Franchise