Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort addressed the trade of wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Texans on Monday afternoon, calling decisions like the one to move Harrison “never easy.” 

A trade of Harrison was somewhat expected after he had been informed by the organization that he was going to be dealt.

“Ultimately, we have to do what is best for our football team and that will always be the driving factor,” Ossenfort said in a statement. “We are extremely grateful to Marvin for what he has contributed to our organization and wish him the very best as he moves forward in his career.”

The Cardinals received a 2027 second- and seventh-round pick in exchange for Harrison and a 2027 sixth-round selection. 

Ossenfort didn’t address any specific issues that led to the trade, but the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 draft had reportedly been unhappy with his reduced role in the Arizona offense. 

Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett knew that Harrison, the son of NFL great Marvin Harrison, was going to be traded on Saturday, learning from the team’s head coach Mike LaFleur and the player himself. 

Brissett said that Harrison was someone “we all have a relationship with outside of football.”

“As much as everyone wants to say, ‘It’s a business, it’s a business,’ that doesn’t make it easy,” Brissett said, according to the team website. “It’s someone I’ll know I’ll miss … and I’m sure a lot of us are rooting for Marv.”

Harrison ends his Cardinals career with 33 games under his belt, in which he made 108 catches for 1,578 yards and 13 touchdowns. 

He has seen his role in the offense dwindle over time and this season he had just five catches for 85 yards and one touchdown.