One NFL legend thinks the Arizona Cardinals deserve some blame for the struggles of wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
Former wide receiver Steve Smith suggested that the Cardinals had failed Harrison by not getting him the ball enough. He was also critical of the fact that the team expected him to be a deep threat who created separation instead of a possession wide receiver.
“They traded Marvin Harrison away because they no longer thought that he was an asset to the team. You can say, ‘Oh, we value him.’ Throw him the ball. If you value him, throw him the football. But you weren’t valuing him. You didn’t,” Smith said on his “89” podcast. “He doesn’t separate. Okay. Tell me something else I don’t know. When you took this job, you knew that was the case. You watched film.”
Harrison only got 73 targets in 12 games last season and had pretty much fallen out of favor entirely this season, so Smith has a point. However, the former No. 4 overall pick had plenty of other issues that impacted how often Arizona tried to get him the ball. The situation cannot be fully blamed on the coaching staff alone.
The Cardinals ultimately traded Harrison Jr. to the Houston Texans earlier this week. Smith might see that as good news, and based on some of his previous commentary, Harrison’s famous father might agree.
