Marvin Harrison Jr.’s transition to the NFL took a strange turn Saturday night, when Fanatics filed a lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court alleging that Harrison — the Cardinals’ first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft — breached a contract that the two sides agreed to last year despite a “significant” payment to the wide receiver, according to ESPN.
The outlet added that Harrison “has refused to fulfill his obligations” and “rejected or ignored every request” from Fanatics, which allegedly agreed to a “binding term sheet” with Harrison on May 16, 2023 — one month after the sides began negotiations for a different deal to replace the one initially agreed to in March 2023.
The current deal was for at least $1 million and included “autographs, signed trading cards, game-worn apparel and other marketing opportunities,” according to ESPN, though those details reportedly weren’t publicly available and redacted from the lawsuit.
Despite being drafted by Arizona last month and the expectation that Harrison will remain a key part of its offense for years to come, fans couldn’t purchase his jersey online or play with Harrison’s name in Madden — among other name, image and likeness opportunities — because he refused to sign the NFL Players’ Association’s joint licensing agreement, according to multiple reports.
Harrison, though, has allegedly continued selling memorabilia on “THE OFFICIAL HARRISON COLLECTION” website, with ESPN noting that the page teases that Cardinals memorabilia will be “coming soon” and claims it’s the “only place” to purchase memorabilia signed by Harrison.
Fanatics reportedly alleged in the lawsuit that Harrison had started “negotiating competing agreements” with other companies, though ESPN added that despite demanding that Fanatics top those offers, Harrison and his camp allegedly never gave those offers to Fanatics.
“I’ll continue to talk to my team, and we’ll do what’s best for me moving forward,” Harrison told reporters in April when asked about hiring an agent and signing the league’s group licensing agreement, according to ESPN. “We’ll just take it one day at a time. I just got drafted, so I’m trying to enjoy the moment and be happy while I can at the moment.”
Harrison, 21 and the son of Hall of Fame wideout Marvin Harrison Sr., starred at Ohio State for three seasons — collecting 2,613 yards and 31 receiving touchdowns — before declaring for the NFL draft.
But Harrison didn’t participate in the Buckeyes’ Pro Day, didn’t speak with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine and didn’t work out at the pre-draft event in Indianapolis, either.
That didn’t prevent Harrison from becoming the first receiver selected this year, though, as the Cardinals took him at No. 4 overall to become the top target for quarterback Kyler Murray.
“That’s not why I decided to not do anything, because I was confident where I was going,” Harrison told NFL.com of his pre-draft approach. “Whatever happens, whoever drafts me, I think they’ve done their research and I’ve talked to them. They understand where my health is, and they know my skills.”