Marvin Harrison Jr. is going straight into the lineup. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said after Wednesday’s practice that the receiver Houston acquired from Arizona will play Sunday when the Texans (1-4) meet the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1) at Wembley Stadium in London, barely a week after the trade came together.
“Marvin will play,” Ryans said.
A crash course in the playbook
Ryans said Harrison spent his first night in the building working late in the playbook with Houston’s assistant receivers coach, and that the extra session put him a day ahead by the time he took the field on Wednesday.
“Marvin did a really good job today of getting acclimated,” Ryans said. “Our coaches have done a great job in the background, were really working with him, getting him caught up to speed on our plays, verbiage, what we’re doing. Got in and made some plays today.”
Just don’t expect a full workload in his first game. “We’ll have set plays and we’ll make sure it’s as easy as possible for him to get lined up so he can play fast,” Ryans said. “Don’t expect him to come out and play all 60 snaps in the game, but we’ll make sure he gets what he needs and make sure he’s confident in what we’re asking him to do.”
Ryans also liked the picture when the 6-foot-3 Harrison lined up next to 6-foot-4 Nico Collins at practice. “I’m like, man, those are two tough guys to cover,” he said, pointing to the catch radius both receivers have when the ball goes up.
Harrison on Arizona: ‘I’m going to take accountability’
The fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft had 885 receiving yards in 17 games as a rookie and 608 in 12 games last season. This year he had only five catches for 85 yards through four games before the Cardinals made him inactive for Week 5 while the deal was being finished.
Asked where things went wrong in Arizona, Harrison did not point fingers. “There’s a lot of factors,” he said. “I think any situation you take accountability for yourself. So, I’m going to take accountability for my part and my role that I played in things. But I’m just looking forward to the future at this point.”
He also shrugged off the criticism of his effort that followed him out of the desert. “I know who I am as a player. I know who I am as a person,” he said. “So however people want to label me or think of me that’s their opinions.” As for Collins, Harrison said his job is “to just be a sponge and learn from one of the best.”
Caserio: the deal was done Friday
General manager Nick Caserio, speaking with Seth Payne and Sean Pendergast on Houston radio Wednesday morning, said he and Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort agreed to the trade on Friday night after a few weeks of talks. Arizona wanted to wait until after Sunday’s game to tell Harrison where he was going, and Caserio said Houston had no problem with that.
He also shot down the theory that the trade hinged on the Texans beating Tennessee. “We had agreed to the parameters, there were a few things that we had to finalize and work out, so what happened in the game had absolutely zero bearing on whether or not we were going to consummate the transaction,” Caserio said. “We’re not going to agree to something and see what happens in the game and then back out of it.”
Houston sent a 2027 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick to Arizona for Harrison and a 2027 sixth-round pick. Caserio said the club would not force anything with its new receiver: “When he’s ready to play, he’ll play.” By Wednesday afternoon, Ryans had decided that time is now.
Back with Stroud
The trade reunites Harrison with his Ohio State quarterback, C.J. Stroud, who has thrown for 1,402 yards without an interception this season. The two connected right away in Harrison’s first practice with Houston.
“I’ve always watched Texans from afar, obviously watching C.J.,” Harrison said. “So, it’s surreal to play with him now and try to help him the best I can.”
Houston and Jacksonville kick off at 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, October 18.
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