Marvin Harrison Jr. set to get reps in Cardinals preseason games

Fans of the Cardinals may be in luck. Marvin Harrison Jr, Arizona’s first round pick, is probably going to play, sometime soon. Indications are the superstar wide receiver will see action in preseason games.

“I think he needs to get out there and play,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said at his media availability this week.

The NFL preseason schedule kicked off Thursday night with a storm-shortened game in Canton, Ohio. It was live football between the Texans and Bears, albeit with a bunch of unfamiliar names running and tackling. Neither CJ Stroud nor Caleb Williams played. Chicago selected Williams with the No. 1 pick of April’s NFL Draft. And coach Matt Eberflus didn’t want to risk Williams getting nicked up in a game with nothing on the line. The game is important because it’s part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame celebration, with the induction ceremonies set for Saturday. But no one is going to remember the score.

The Cardinals and the rest of the league follow with their preseason openers next week. The first games usually feature lots and lots of rookies, be they draft picks or free agents. But coaches are sometimes electing not to play the elite rookies like Williams and Harrison, who at No. 4 in the draft, was the first non-quarterback selected.

The Cardinals play host to the Saints, Aug. 10. They take on the Colts on the road, Aug. 17. Then they complete their preseason slate with an away game against the Broncos.

On Thursday, Harrison told reporters about how much action he wants to see in August. It sounds like Gannon hasn’t told him anything.

“Hopefully I get to play,” said the former Ohio State star. “I definitely want to play, get out there, always compete.”

Reports from Cardinals training camp suggest Harrison is having himself a preseason. He and quarterback Kyler Murray are working on their on-field chemistry each day. They did so all summer, too, on trips to Los Angeles or during casual throw-and-catch sessions at a local high school.

“I think (Harrison) takes us to another level,” Murray told reporters earlier this summer. “When you got a guy out there that is capable of winning one-on-ones, obviously he’s got to go do it and he knows that. We all know it. But as far as manipulating coverage and stuff like that, you got a guy out there that can do that and even if he’s not open, he’s open.

“I’m excited to be able to build that with him,” Murray said. “But when he does what he does, yeah, I fully expect our offense to be top of the league.”

Harrison said the two are working on how to translate each other’s body language. “And I think you can definitely see that these first couple of weeks in camp,” said the receiver.

Gannon said after minicamp that it was important to keep Harrison from working too hard. Seems that the former Buckeye likes to practice.

And this week, he said he needs to bring his game up to NFL levels. It all comes from reps, either from practice or live snaps in preseason games.

“You have to react a little quicker,” Harrison said. “Recognize coverages a little quicker, make sure you’re running the right route, getting to the right spot for the quarterback.”