Marvin Harrison Sr. 'can't deal with' Cardinals offense amid struggles of Marvin Harrison Jr.

The struggles of Arizona Cardinals second-year wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. routinely generated headlines and sparked conversations among members of the football community as the Cardinals fell to 2-5 on the campaign. 

For a piece published on Monday, ESPN's Josh Weinfuss spoke with Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison Sr. about what has gone wrong for his son since the Cardinals made the 23-year-old the fourth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. 

Marvin Harrison Sr. doesn't love watching his son play in Cardinals offense

"It's very hard for me to watch the Cardinals' offense," Harrison Sr. recently admitted. "And you can quote me on that."

Whispers surfaced long before the campaign got underway, claiming that Arizona could part ways with quarterback Kyler Murray if the club endured another losing season. What's become a lingering foot injury will keep Murray out of the Arizona lineup for a third straight game when the Cardinals play at the Dallas Cowboys (3-4-1) on Monday night.

ESPN stats show that the Cardinals will enter Monday evening ranked 22nd in the NFL with an average of 310.3 yards gained per game and tied for 21st with an average of 21.9 points scored per contest. 

"The style of offense that I am accustomed to, that I'm used to watching as a professional eye, as a wide receiver ... I just can't relate to watching that [current] offense, that style of offense," Harrison Sr. continued. "Basically, I can't relate to what goes on there. I think that's just peacefully put, without pointing fingers or anything. It's just me. I'm giving you the professional eye. I can't relate to it. It don't add up to me. I can't deal with it."

Does Marvin Harrison Jr. blame Kyler Murray for struggles?

Back in early 2024, numerous analysts viewed Harrison Jr. as the top receiver in his draft class. He has since developed a reputation for dropping catchable passes during games, and he's become his club's No. 2 target behind tight end Trey McBride. According to ESPN, Harrison Jr. will begin the Cowboys game ranked second on the Cardinals for the season with 24 receptions, 40 targets, 396 receiving yards and two touchdown catches. 

"I think our situations are different," Harrison Jr. said about his father's remarks. "I think the era of football is different, the system I think ... to be honest with you guys, it's just like he played with Peyton Manning, obviously a Hall of Fame quarterback. It's hard for him to watch. I think it's a combination of what he's used to. Obviously, if you're a parent who's never played football and you see your kid playing, this is all you know, but he's been in the locker room, been on an NFL team, been in the best offense with one of the best quarterbacks of all time. So, he kind of sees it all from a different perspective. I think that's what kind of makes it hard to watch for him."

Fair or not, such comments could lead outsiders to assume Harrison Jr. wants the Cardinals to find an upgrade at quarterback during the upcoming offseason. It sounds like Harrison Sr. would be in favor of that plan. 

"What I do know is you can put Marvin Harrison Sr., in my prime, in Arizona right now, and guess what happened? Canton, Ohio, [home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame] is going to send me a prepaid envelope and say, 'Could you please send that jacket back?' So, I'm not speaking for anyone. I'm speaking for me," Harrison Sr. added.