Marvin Harrison Jr., Who Doesn’t Even Have 10 Receptions in 2 Games, Remains Unbothered by Not Being Targeted Enough

Despite not seeing enough of the ball in the first two games, Marvin Harrison Jr. remains optimistic because his team won both of them.

Marvin Harrison Jr., Who Doesn’t Even Have 10 Receptions in 2 Games, Remains Unbothered by Not Being Targeted Enough

Marvin Harrison Jr. (Image via IMAGO)

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Despite the Arizona Cardinals securing a 27-22 win over the Carolina Panthers, the biggest talking point that sprang out of the fixture was the low target count of wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Fans were quick to point their fingers at offensive coordinator Drew Petzing for Harrison Jr.’s underwhelming stat line.

They have every right to be upset witnessing a generational talent being underutilized. Does Harrison Jr. think the same? He’s the one who is lagging behind his peers, Malik Nabers, Ladd McConkey, Brock Bowers, and Brian Thomas Jr.

Harrison Jr. would love to have more targets from Kyler Murray, but at the end of the day, winning games takes precedence over everything else. He told the reporters:

It’s always frustrating when you may not get the impact that you probably want in the game, especially when you put in so much work. But at the end of the day, you’re very happy that we’re 2-0, sitting in here, and we got a victory.

So does the second-year athlete hold his OC accountable for the lack of targets? He added:

That’s a silly conversation, really. We’re 2-0.

He’s already looking forward to the next set of games against divisional rivals, the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. But there’s no guarantee that Harrison’s numbers will improve against comparatively tougher opponents. Petzing claimed that it’s his job to make sure the Ohio State graduate has increased targets.

Kyler Murray broke his silence on Marvin Harrison Jr.’s target count

The OC wasn’t the only one who faced the heat. Fans also dragged Murray into the frame, and for good reasons.

Marvin Harrison Jr., Who Doesn't Even Have 10 Receptions in 2 Games, Remains Unbothered by Not Being Targeted Enough
Marvin Harrison Jr. (Image via IMAGO)

Murray raved about his young receiver’s gradual improvement from year one. Despite that, they don’t seem to be on the same page. At present, tight end Trey McBride leads the team with 12 receptions for 139 yards. McBride also finished 2024 as the leading receiver with 110+ catches and 1100+ yards.

Murray’s distribution is also depriving Greg Dortch, Michael Wilson, and Zay Jones from seeing more of the ball. Speaking with the media on Wednesday, the 28-year-old claimed that he would love to throw 10 passes to every receiver on the team:

I say it every time. Do I wish all of [the pass catchers] could get 10 targets a game? Of course. But there’s only one ball. We’ve been playing this game for a long time. We all understand how it goes. Some days, he’s [Harrison Jr.] gonna get 10. Some days he might get three.

The Murray-Harrison duo holds the potential to be one of the most lethal in the NFL. Fans watched in awe when Harrison stiff-armed a Panthers defender for a first down. It was only his second reception in the game, but an impactful one nonetheless.

In his first season with the Cardinals, Harrison Jr. had 62 receptions for 885 yards and 8 touchdowns. Murray, on the other hand, logged 372 completions for 3851 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, along with 78 rushes for 572 yards and 5 touchdowns. Murray signed a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension, with $160 million guaranteed.

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