“There were a lot of things he had to learn, he had to adapt his way of thinking,” Terrell said. “I’ve seen the biggest change from him is probably his mindset and how he thinks about football, which has been good.
“He’s playing a more free style of football.”
The appendicitis derailed Harrison harsher than just the two games he missed. He lost 10 pounds, or nearly all the muscle he had gained in his grind-it-out offseason. He didn’t do much over those two weeks and tried to jump right back in.
In his first game back, he hurt his heel.
Wilson’s ascension ran a parallel track to Harrison’s body breakdown, with Wilson moving to WR1 and excelling. That at least gave Harrison a vicarious thrill.
“I know Mike’s process more than most and he definitely deserved all the credit he is getting,” he said. “Kept putting good things on tape, approached the game the right way, and I couldn’t be more proud of Mike and what he accomplished. He deserves it.”
Whatever the Cardinals get in a new coach and whatever offense they might run next season, the new staff will at least start with two pass catchers coming off huge years and a third – Harrison – who still very much has that potential.
“I didn’t feel like I played the whole season,” Harrison said. “That’s part of the league, and you have to be consistent.”
As Harrison wrapped up his media scrum, he was given another chance to describe the season.
“Unfortunate,” he said. “Unfortunate.”