Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. has been a key weapon in the team’s push to try to keep up in the most feared division in pro football this season, the NFC West. Harrison is a superstar in Arizona, which makes his injury status all the more alarming for fans in the desert.
For Thanksgiving weekend, the Cardinals will go toe-to-toe with the top dogs in the NFC South, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Birds will hope to have Harrison available.
Will Marvin Harrison Jr. Be Healthy for the Cardinals vs. Bucs Game in Week 13?
Harrison, working through an appendix issue, was a limited participant in the Cardinals’ practice on Thursday, following the same trend from Wednesday.
The last time the wideout saw off-field action was in Week 10 in a 44-22 loss against the Seattle Seahawks, when he recorded 33 receiving yards and one touchdown. The following Wednesday, November 12, head coach Jonathan Gannon said the 2nd-year star underwent surgery to address appendicitis and will therefore miss their matchup with the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11.
Gannon further ruled out Harrison for Week 12 against the Jacksonville Jaguars as well, making their upcoming game against the Bucs his next chance to return. Since he started practicing again on Wednesday, things are trending in the right direction for the receiver. However, the fact that Gannon said there’s no return timetable for him means nothing is set in stone.
The Cardinals might want to rest him properly for the tail end of the season, which includes matchups against the upcoming Bucs, LA Rams, and Cincinnati Bengals.
Cardinals Will Rely on WR Depth if Harrison Misses Week 13 vs. Bucs
Arizona still has reliable depth in its wide receiver room behind Harrison. Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch have been quarterback Kyler Murray’s go-to options out wide in the 2nd-year star’s absence.
In the two games that Harrison has been out, Wilson has made the most of the opportunity, bagging 303 receiving yards. His exploits make a strong argument for him to see an extended role in Arizona’s offense, while also ranking 49th on PFSN’s WR Impact metric.
In those same two matchups, Dortch has also capitalized on increased touches by putting up 119 receiving yards and two scores.
However, tight end Trey McBride remains the staple of Arizona’s receiving corps. In 11 games this campaign, he has booked 80 catches for 797 yards and seven touchdowns. Given the state of the NFC West, the Cardinals are likely out of the playoffs this season, so look for them to fight for pride for the remainder of the year.