Marvin Harrison Jr. says he is still not fully recovered after 2025 injury stretch with Cardinals

Arizona’s third-year receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. entered the offseason with an important message about his health. Harrison told reporters that he is still not at “100%” after a 2025 season that was shortened by several injuries, and he characterized his recovery as “an ongoing process still,” according to ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss.

Harrison missed five games last season due to a variety of ailments and ultimately finished the year on injured reserve. Pro Football Rumors also reported that the concussion and appendicitis that affected Harrison during 2025 have resolved, but that the lingering problem has been heel injuries to both feet that occurred late in the season.

At OTAs, Harrison said he does not expect the heel issue to spill over into the 2026 season. That matters because Harrison is entering a phase where the early-career narrative for a top-tier rookie receiver is supposed to start catching up to the expectations that come with being drafted that high, particularly for a receiver who put up elite production at Ohio State.

On the field, the numbers so far have not matched the pre-draft billing. Pro Football Rumors pointed out that Harrison’s rookie touchdown output dropped from eight in his first season, with last year’s total cut roughly in half. Across his first two NFL seasons, Harrison has totaled 1,493 receiving yards (51.5 per game), a production profile that contrasts with his college résumé of back-to-back All-American seasons and 2,474 receiving yards (99.0 per game) at Ohio State.

There is also a football-context layer to Harrison’s situation beyond his personal recovery. Pro Football Rumors reported that Harrison’s early NFL seasons have been shaped by Arizona’s quarterback availability and rhythm with the offense. It noted that Kyler Murray appeared fully back from his earlier torn ACL in 2024 but struggled to establish consistent timing with Harrison early on, while later in 2025 Murray went down with a foot injury that ended his season.

When Arizona had to turn to backup quarterback play, Pro Football Rumors reported that Jacoby Brissett averaged 280.5 passing yards per game over the remainder of the season, though much of the production went to other targets, including tight end Trey McBride and receiver Michael Wilson. Harrison, meanwhile, had games under 40 receiving yards as often as he had games over that mark in his six appearances before being shut down for the year.

For Arizona, the practical takeaway is straightforward. Harrison’s availability and conditioning level will become a central part of the team’s offseason work, especially in the early stages of offseason practices where the coaching staff gauges routes, timing, and recovery pace. Even if Harrison expects his heel issue to stay contained, lingering discomfort can affect explosiveness and workload decisions, particularly for a receiver who relies on acceleration and separation. The Cardinals’ next step is watching whether Harrison can stack consecutive full-speed practices without setbacks as the calendar moves toward training camp and the preseason.

The bigger question for the 2026 Cardinals is how quickly Harrison’s role can return to what Arizona needs most from him. If the receiver truly reaches full health for the start of the new season, he could help stabilize a wide receiver group that has to build chemistry with whatever quarterback rhythm the Cardinals settle into. If his recovery is slower than expected, Arizona may have to manage his snaps and targets again, which would influence how the offense evolves and how much pressure falls on the rest of the passing attack.