Brissett: ‘Nobody’s lost confidence’ in Marvin Harrison Jr.

TEMPE — Marvin Harrison Jr.’s national attention for all the wrong reasons hasn’t gone unnoticed by Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur or quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

They’ve seen the “narrative” surrounding Harrison’s quiet 2026 start and the nonstop discussion about his effort levels after multiple plays last week showed the wideout giving far less than 100%, especially in the run game.

But LaFleur and Brissett say they have not seen a drop off in Harrison’s work ethic or the team’s belief in the wide receiver.

“When you talk about his work ethic and you talk about him showing up and being engaged in the meetings and then going out on the field and giving 110% and being the Marv we all know he is, that hasn’t changed,” Brissett said Wednesday.

“Nobody’s lost confidence in Marv.”

Jacoby Brissett says it’s clear Marvin Harrison Jr. is frustrated by the slow start.

The QB shares a similar frustration for not getting the wideout the rock more ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/SHfmqxYXh6

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) September 23, 2026

“Nobody’s lost confidence in Marv,” the quarterback added. “The hard part as a young player is the noise from the outside telling you what they expect from you and the things of that nature. Does Marv want the ball? Yes. Do we understand that he wants the ball? Yes. Is it only Week 2? Yes. … At some point, the tide will change. When? We don’t know yet. Hopefully soon.”

The tape, however, paints a very different picture. And I’m not talking about his one catch and four total targets on the season. That alone shows a team that isn’t trying to get the No. 4 overall pick involved, regardless of how much they want to utilize Trey McBride and Kendrick Bourne underneath, as LaFleur referenced on Monday.

Whether it be running routes or blocking on Sunday, Harrison was clearly not going 100% play in and play out.

Even if Harrison knows he’s not getting the rock — which has been a lot so far this year — his lackadaisical showing at times simply cannot happen.

really great blocking effort too, Marv pic.twitter.com/JOdJidAvms

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) September 22, 2026

Want to give the opposing defense a tell for when the ball isn’t going his way? That’s a great way to do it.

Just look at how Michael Wilson approaches the game. The third-round pick just got paid and still looks like he’s fighting tooth and nail to make the roster through the way he operates without the ball in his hands.

That’s the standard Harrison needs to emulate — even if LaFleur doesn’t want to admit the obvious lack of effort at times.

“I don’t see it that way. I think his running style is different from some other people’s,” LaFleur said Monday when asked about Harrison jogging through routes. “If that’s people’s narrative on him, that’s fine, but I know his teammates don’t feel that way.”

Mike LaFleur has heard the Marvin Harrison Jr. effort “narrative” but “in between those walls, Marv is Marv. He’s attacking it every single day like he always does, just like his teammates do. I appreciate the way he goes about his business.” pic.twitter.com/a5lNt24gIz

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) September 23, 2026

“In between those walls, Marv is Marv,” the head coach added Wednesday, doubling down on his comments from earlier in the week. “He’s attacking it every single day like he always does, just like his teammates do. I appreciate the way he goes about his business.”

As for whether Harrison’s run-blocking is up to snuff two games in? LaFleur said everyone’s “efforts need to improve.”

There’s no lying there, as the Cardinals sport one of the worst rushing attacks two weeks in despite spending a top three pick on Jeremiyah Love and adding Tyler Allgeier in free agency.

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