From the moment A.J. Brown went down, the New England Patriots had a major issue. What once looked like a deep wide receiver room seemed overwhelmed and needs help.
The obvious fix is to go out and trade for someone to quickly add to that depth. Perhaps someone who was once seen as a can’t miss prospect but now needs a career reset. Enter Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who dealt with injuries in 2025 before getting off to a slow start under a new coaching staff in 2026.
With that, reports started to connect the Patriots and Harrison as a logical trade. In particular, as the Patriots want to avoid falling into an even deeper hole to start the season.
The Latest Trade Rumors on Arizona Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Jonathan Jones of The Athletic shared some news and notes ahead of Week 4 of the NFL season. That included some thoughts on Marvin Harrison Jr. that were relevant to a potential trade with the Patriots. In particular, challenges the Cardinals have in making this trade.
“But will Arizona actually trade him? It would do GM Monti Ossenfort’s reputation no favors to give away Harrison for anything less than a Day 2 pick 30 months after taking him with the fourth selection,” Jones wrote.
As a rookie, Harrison had 62 receptions for 885 yards and 8 touchdowns. He looked well on his way to being a star receiver. The next year, his counting stats went down with injuries but were actually better in regards to his receiving success rate, catch percentage, and yards per reception.
Now, in his third season, he has just 4 receptions on 9 targets for 73 yards. His receiving success rate and catch percentage are both at career lows. On top of that, his effort has been publicly questioned.
“The 1-2 Cardinals expect to be in the hunt for a franchise quarterback in next year’s draft. That quarterback could use the best version of Harrison whenever he gets there. Hell, Jacoby Brissett could use the best version of Harrison,” Jones wrote.
“More teams are interested than not, certainly if the price is reasonable. But I don’t sense Arizona is desperate to deal him — at least not yet.”
AFC Executives are Down on Harrison, Reason for Patriots to be Concerned
In any trade, the Patriots are likely going to be limited in what they can offer. They already sent a first-round pick for Brown after all. On top of that, they’re going to need to convince the Cardinals to reset at wide receiver right when they want to reset at quarterback. So, it may not be worth it for them to give up on him just yet.
To add to that, Harrison doesn’t look like the prospect he was. Anonymous AFC executives told The Athletic there are major reasons to be concerned about his play, in particular since battling injuries.
“When you get injured, stop seeing the ball, have drops and not in the most stable quarterback position to help get that page turned, it can weigh on young guys,” an AFC executive said. “Quite honestly it may be where he needs a change of scenery to be the best version of himself. But if you’re Arizona, you want to keep as many assets as you can.”
If the Patriots want to trade for Harrison, they need to acknowledge that he’s not as valuable as he once was. That’s a tough spot for the Cardinals to be in, who may bet on bouncing back rather than selling low.
“Forget where he was drafted,” another AFC executive said, “watch him play. He’s like a third receiver with upside. He’s not fast, not physical and doesn’t do anything after the catch.”
Regardless, the Patriots do need to be aware that Harrison is not the prospect he once was. He won’t be a savior for the offense if he does come to New England.
Patriots Trade Rumors: Latest Report on Status of Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison