Marvin Harrison Jr. reunites with C.J. Stroud at his first Texans practice

Marvin Harrison Jr. took the practice field with the Houston Texans for the first time on Wednesday, two days after his trade from the Arizona Cardinals became official, and it did not take long for him to find his old college quarterback.

Aaron Wilson shared video of C.J. Stroud hitting Harrison during the session, the first time the two have worked together since their days at Ohio State. Harrison now wears No. 18 in Houston, catching passes from Stroud’s No. 7.

What Stroud and Ryans said

Stroud was clearly happy to have him. “Excited to have my guy back and get rolling,” Stroud said, according to Wilson. “I’ve always thought he was special. His work ethic, it’s the same thing now.” He added that Harrison “will fit in fine” and is “all about what we believe in this organization.”

Coach DeMeco Ryans said Harrison spent late Tuesday night in the building studying the playbook with coaches and slid into practice without trouble, even though he is arriving a month into the season.

How he got here

Houston sent a 2027 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick to Arizona for Harrison and a 2027 sixth-round pick. The deal was agreed over the weekend and became official Monday once Harrison passed his physical. Arizona drafted him fourth overall in 2024.

The Texans picked up their first win of the season against Tennessee in Week 5, and Stroud played one of his sharpest games of the year. Adding Harrison gives him another proven target on the outside. The next question is how fast the playbook work turns into snaps on Sunday.