The Cincinnati Bengals dropped a tough game on Sunday to the Jacksonville Jaguars. That’s going to force them to take a step back and evaluate if they really have the pieces that they need to succeed in the AFC this season.
Landon Belote of Sports Illustrated certainly thinks there’s room for improvement all over the field. That includes at the wide receiver position, where he pointed to Marvin Harrison Jr. of the Arizona Cardinals as a reasonable trade candidate.
“After injuries to both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, there have been calls to acquire a name such as Marvin Harrison Jr. from the Cardinals,” Belote wrote.
“Of the players available for the Bengals to acquire, Harrison makes the most sense as he has failed to make an impact in Arizona due to poor quarterback play. He would immediately give Joe Burrow another weapon on offense, and set the Bengals offense up with a dynamic receiver trio they have missed ever since Tyler Boyd left town.”
The Arizona Cardinals are Dealing With Major Trade Rumors
Part of why the Bengals might be looking at Marvin Harrison Jr. is that Harrison appears to be on the trade block. Or, if he’s not officially being shopped around, then there are plenty of rumors that the Cardinals may move on from him.
Harrison does seem to need a change of scenery. The former No. 4 overall pick, Harrison has only looked like someone who would live up to his potential during his rookie season.
In that rookie season, he had 62 receptions for 885 yards and 8 touchdowns. Injuries made his counting stats drop in his second season, but he was actually a more efficient wide receiver when he was on the field. Then, the start of the 2026 season happened and he’s had a massively slow start.
Through four games, Harrison has 5 receptions for 85 yards and 1 touchdown. That’s a low point in his career, and the Cardinals may not be ready to move on from him, but it also makes him an interesting trade candidate for teams like the Bengals.
Clearly, something is wrong with Harrison. That much is obvious. So, could they buy low and find a way to restore the value he once had as a receiver?
Injuries are Stacking Up for the Cincinnati Bengals
Wide receiver is, of course, supposed to be a position of depth for the Bengals. That quickly hasn’t become the case as they continue to battle injuries, though.
Going into the regular season, both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were already banged up but able to play. That changed during the loss to the Jaguars on Sunday, with both suffering injuries.
In Chase’s case, he went down with a concussion. It’s unclear how long that will take to come back from. There is also no timeline yet for Higgins, who suffered an adductor injury. The Bengals still need to figure out the extent of that injury.
In other words, the Bengals have gaps to fill at wide receiver. Until Cincinnati figures out how to do that, trade rumors are going to persist.
Bengals Urged to Make Blockbuster Trade With Cardinals for Playmaker