It won’t take long for us all to see Marvin Harrison Jr. in a new uniform.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters in his Wednesday press conference that Harrison will play in Sunday’s game against the Jaguars in London.
“I thought Marvin did a really good job today, getting acclimated,” Ryans said. “Our coaches have done a great job in the background, really working with him, getting him caught up to speed on our plays, the verbiage of what we’re doing. Got in and ran some plays today, did a good job.”
Ryans added that Harrison has been a quick study in the short time he’s been with Houston.
“Getting a player caught up, it isn’t hard when the player is attentive and he’s locked in on getting the details down,” Ryans said. “So Marvin’s first night here, he was with our assistant wide receivers coach, coach Tiquan [Underwood], and they were grinding — they were working late at night. And they were in the playbook, grinding. And that allowed him to get a day ahead and now he was able to go out there today and just fit right in seamlessly.
“So, when you put the work in and you’re dialed in, you can make it work.”
Harrison caught just five passes for 85 yards with one touchdown in four games with Arizona this season. We’ll see if he can fit in seamlessly enough to match that output in one game with Houston on Sunday.
Texans Clips
There was a lot of talk about Marvin Harrison Jr. being a can’t miss prospect when he came out of Ohio State and the Cardinals were thrilled to take him fourth overall in 2024, but Harrison’s time in Arizona did not play out as hoped.
Harrison had 103 catches for 1,493 yards and 12 touchdowns over his first two seasons and had five catches in four games of this season, but that turned out to be the end of the line for him and the Cardinals. The team made him inactive last week as they finalized a trade sending him to Houston and Harrison met the media for the first time as a Texan on Wednesday.
Harrison was asked several questions about why things didn’t go as planned with the Cardinals and declined each opportunity to delve into specifics.
“There’s a lot of factors. With any situation, you always want to take accountability for yourself. . . . I’m just looking forward to the future,” Harrison said.
Harrison was asked negative critiques of his play and effort at times with Arizona and said that people form their own opinions, but that he knows “who I am as a player.” He also said he thinks the rapport he has with quarterback C.J. Stroud from their time in college together makes Houston a great situation for him to continue a career that the Texans hope is on the upswing.
Offensive tackle Braden Smith is back on the active roster in Houston.
The Texans announced on Wednesday that they have activated Smith from injured reserve. Smith went on the list ahead of Week 1 due to a foot injury and he returned to practice last week.
Smith signed a two-year deal with the Texans this offseason. The 2018 second-round pick spent his first eight seasons with the Colts and started 105 of the 107 games he played while in Indianapolis.
The Texans activated defensive tackle Kayden McDonald and safety M.J. Stewart in Week 5. Smith’s activation leaves wide receiver Tank Dell as the only player in the return to play process.
Houston also announced that they have signed quarterback Mark Gronowski and wide receiver Bryce Oliver to the practice squad. Both players were waived off of the active roster last week.
The trade to send Marvin Harrison Jr. from the Cardinals to the Texans became official on Monday as the receiver passed his physical.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters in his Monday press conference that the team is excited to add the young wideout.
“He’s another really great playmaker,” Ryans said, via transcript from the team. “He’s crushed a lot of college records. Got multiple thousand-yard receiving seasons in college. All-American, always been a top receiver when he’s been on the field. He has good rapport with C.J. [Stroud] from their time at Ohio State. We’re excited to get him in, add another great player to our group.”
Ryans noted that he’s not worried about Harrison picking up a new scheme quickly to impact the club.
“The thing that I’ve heard from a lot of people speaking about Marvin is he’s one of the hardest workers,” Ryans said. “That’s the common theme that I’ve heard from multiple people, how hard of a worker he is. I’m not concerned about him picking up the offense and what he can be able to run for us, the things that he’ll be able to do for us offensively. I’m not concerned about it because the kid is a hard worker. He has a great attitude. He’s fired up to be here. When you approach it that way, as he will, he’ll fit right in.”
Plus, Harrison’s built-in chemistry with Stroud should speed up that process. Ryans noted the team solicited Stroud’s input on Harrison before executing the deal.
“I hope so,” Ryans said. “I think anytime you have players who have spent time together, whether it’s college or other teams, just having that prior relationship definitely helps when you come into a new situation.”
The No. 4 overall pick of the 2024 draft, Harrison’s production to this point of his career has not matched that draft status. After catching 62 passes for 885 yards with eight touchdowns as a rookie, he had 41 receptions for 608 yards with four touchdowns in 12 games last season.
He caught just five passes for 85 yards with a TD in four games this year before the trade.
The Jaguars won’t have left tackle Anton Harrison in the lineup against the Texans in Week 6 and it’s unclear when he will be back in action.
Harrison injured his knee during the team’s win over the Eagles in London in Week 5 and he is set to have arthroscopic surgery to repair his injury. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that his return timeline will be determined once doctors see the extent of the damage to his knee.
Per the report, Harrison could be out for about 3-5 weeks or he could be out for the rest of the season.
Walker Little replaced Harrison on Trevor Lawrence’s blind side against the Eagles and will be set to hold down the spot as long as Harrison is unavailable.
Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. passed his physical on Monday, according to multiple reports.
That makes his trade from Arizona to Houston official.
The Cardinals will receive a second-round and a seventh-round pick (originally belonging to the 49ers) in 2027 in exchange for Harrison and a 2027 sixth-round pick.
The Texans waived wide receiver Jared Wayne in a corresponding move.
Harrison, the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft, reunites with his former Ohio State teammate, C.J. Stroud, in Houston. He finished his Cardinals career with 33 games played, 108 receptions, 1,578 yards and 13 touchdowns.
At the end of his news conference Sunday, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans confirmed his team acquired wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. in a trade with the Cardinals. The Cardinals announced the trade Monday.
The Cardinals will receive a second-round and a seventh-round pick (originally belonging to the 49ers) in 2027 in exchange for Harrison and a 2027 sixth-round pick.
The agreement is still pending Harrison passing a physical.
General Manager Monti Ossenfort addressed the trade in a statement.
“Decisions like this are never easy,” Ossenfort said. “Ultimately, we have to do what is best for our football team and that will always be the driving factor. We are extremely grateful to Marvin for what he has contributed to our organization and wish him the very best as he moves forward in his career.”
Harrison, the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft, finished his Cardinals career with 33 games played, 108 receptions, 1,578 yards and 13 touchdowns.
There is now a known name for Jacksonville’s new long snapper.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Jacob Bobenmoyer is signing with the Jaguars.
He’s already on his way to London to join the team.
Bobenmoyer, 29, played three seasons for Denver before spending the last three years with Las Vegas.
Jacksonville’s usual long snapper, Ross Matiscik, suffered a shoulder injury during Sunday’s win over the Eagles. Defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton replaced him, successfully getting the snap down on the team’s game-winning field goal.
The Jaguars will play the Texans in London on Sunday.
The Texans have a couple of injury concerns coming out of Sunday’s win over the Titans.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters on Monday that both running back David Montgomery (groin) and safety Jalen Pitre (shoulder) are considered week-to-week.
Montgomery has started each of the first five games for Houston this season, rushing for 138 yards on 52 carries with a pair of touchdowns. Second-year back Woody Marks leads the team with 149 yards on 43 carries with two TDs.
Pitre has also started all five games for Houston this season, registering five passes defensed, a fumble recovery and 24 total tackles.
The Texans will be headed across the pond to play the division rival Jaguars in London on Sunday.
The Texans got their first victory of the season on Sunday, beating the moribund Titans, 26-3.
After the contest, receiver Nico Collins talked up his quarterback, C.J. Stroud, who has been putting up solid performances — despite Houston’s current 1-4 record.
“That dude is hooping,” Collins said, via transcript from the team. “Everything that is happening right now is the work you put in throughout the week. Coming in leading, as he always does.
“We always got his back a thousand percent of the way and it’s only right to continue to keep going, continue to be us, and continue to be 1-0.”
Stroud’s first touchdown of the day came on the ground, as he ran it in from 2 yards out midway through the third quarter.
“That man got a little speed on him,” Collins said. “He got in that thing, and I am proud of him. I am happy to see him touch paint, run his feet. He lowered his shoulder, it’s football.”
Stroud later fired a 9-yard touchdown to Jaylin Noel. He ended the day 26-of-34 passing for 261 yards with a TD.
In five games this season, he’s completed 64.3 percent of his throws for 1,402 yards with six touchdowns and no picks.
