Larry Fitzgerald Wants Marvin Harrison Jr. to “Put the Blinders” and “Block” Outside Noise

Larry Fitzgerald is urging Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. to avoid any negative chatter and hone his skills.

Larry Fitzgerald Wants Marvin Harrison Jr. to “Put the Blinders” and “Block” Outside Noise

Marvin Harrison Jr. (Image via IMAGO)

Larry Fitzgerald offered valuable advice to Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. The Hall of Famer wants Harrison Jr. to “block out the outside noise.”

Fitzgerald has followed Harrison’s career closely since his time at Ohio State. The four-star recruit climbed the charts in the final two seasons, and the Cardinals took him 4th overall in 2024.

Harrison Jr. racked up respectable numbers during his rookie season despite issues at quarterback. He has been on a downward spiral ever since. With two more years left in his rookie contract after this season, he has been linked with a move away from Glendale.

Fitzgerald advised the 24-year-old to avoid the negative chatter and focus on honing his craft as a receiver. Fitzgerald said on the Rich Eisen Show:

Put the blinders on. Block out the outside noise. Continue to work on your craft.

After going through his tape, the 11-time Pro Bowler believes Harrison Jr. has improved since his rookie year. It hasn’t shown up in the stats, but the improvement is there.

Fitzgerald compared his rookie campaign with Harrison Jr.’s. Even though both posted nearly identical stats (Fitzgerald: 58 receptions for 780 yards and 8 touchdowns on 115 targets; Harrison Jr.: 6 receptions for 885 yards and 8 touchdowns on 116 targets), Fitzgerald lauded Harrison Jr. for his achievement. Fitzgerald added:

I think [Marvin’s] in a great system, and he’s got a quarterback [Jacoby Brissett] that can spin it… I hope he can get going this week against a Giants team that has been decimated by injuries.

Through the first three games of the 2026 season, Brissett has targeted Harrison 9 times. He has caught 4 passes for 73 yards. The Cardinals last played the Giants in 2023. In the last ten meetings, the Cardinals are 6-4 against their NFC rivals.

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Larry Fitzgerald shared a heartwarming story about Marvin Harrison Jr.

In the offseason, Fitzgerald made a special appearance on retired NFL safety Tyrann Mathieu‘s In the Bayou podcast. In the episode, Fitzgerald shared a heartwarming story about Harrison Jr.

Larry Fitzgerald Wants Marvin Harrison Jr. to "Put the Blinders" and "Block" Outside Noise
Marvin Harrison Jr. (Image via IMAGO)

Back in 2024, Fitzgerald’s son, Devin, met Harrison Jr. at a restaurant. He introduced himself as just Devin and spoke about football with MVJ for about 45 minutes. After the conversation ended, Devin finally disclosed his full name. Fitzgerald said:

And at the end of the conversation he told him, ‘Hey, you know, my dad used to play for the Cardinals.’ Whoopty Whoop. And [Harrison] was like, ‘Really?’ Like that was not even a part of the conversation until the very end.

Since then, Fitzgerald has been a big admirer of MVJ, not only as a football player but also as a person. As for his son Devin, he joined Notre Dame this year as a freshman wide receiver.

Jacoby Brissett defends Marvin Harrison Jr.

The Cardinals signed Brissett last year as Kyler Murray’s backup. Brissett took over after Murray was placed on injured reserve. Brissett threw 23 touchdowns and 8 interceptions but won just one game in twelve starts.

Brissett emerged as the leading candidate for the QB1 role after the Cardinals released Murray. They hit a snag. Brissett demanded an extension on his previous contract, and the talks dragged on until a few days before opening day. The Cardinals restructured his contract, and he started the first three games.

Brissett targeted tight end Trey McBride the most, followed by Michael Wilson and rookie running back Jeremiyah Love. Despite the limited connection between him and Harrison Jr., Brissett has faith in his young teammate. Brissett said:

I thought he played pretty well last game. Every time his number was called, he made the play, and that was a big third down for us, and [I] threw it with the utmost confidence. I just think it’s a process of finding more ways to get him the ball.

Since his debut in 2024, Harrison Jr. has played 31 games. He has caught 104 passes for 1526 yards and 12 touchdowns.

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