Marvin Harrison Jr. back practicing as Cardinals begin ramp up for preseason opener

GLENDALE — Arizona Cardinals fans had a collective sigh of relief watching wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. return to practice after a three-day absence due to knee soreness and illness.

And it didn’t take long to notice the wideout looked just fine in his return to action.

Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. looks just fine. pic.twitter.com/Do9Qou1mhF

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) August 5, 2025

The low-tempo day was a perfect starting point for Harrison’s return. He got some work in, while also not overdoing it.

He also saw more substitutions than he did in recent practices — Zay Jones again saw some WR1 looks in certain packages — a way to both keep him fresh and get other bodies in the rotation.

Harrison back on the grass is a good sign he’ll be ready for the team’s preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.

There’s still two more days of practice to get through, but the plan is to roll out Arizona’s starters in some capacity on Saturday, according to head coach Jonathan Gannon.

It’s the right move given how the team started last year and the potential to start hot right out of the gate with a lighter slate of opponents the first half of the year.

With Harrison in and out of certain first-team packages, plus Michael Wilson in concussion protocol, Jones, Greg Dortch and Xavier Weaver continued to see work with the first string.

Quick hits

– Cornerbacks Max Melton and Garrett Williams got the start in base formation early on during 11-on-11s.

Will Johnson interchanged with Melton, while Williams continued to patrol the perimeter.

In nickel packages, Williams slid inside, while Melton and Johnson commanded the outside roles.

– The duo of Baron Browning and Josh Sweat got plenty of first-team looks on Tuesday.

Jordan Burch and Zaven Collins were the first to rotate in on the edge.

– After a low-temp day, things should kick up Wednesday and Thursday before an off day on Friday ahead of the Chiefs game.

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