Marvin Harrison Jr. is officially active for the Houston Texans’ Week 6 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, confirming that the newly acquired wide receiver will make his team debut Sunday at Wembley Stadium in London.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport shared the update after the Texans released their inactive list for the 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff, removing any remaining doubt about Harrison’s availability just days after he joined the organization.
The confirmation closes a rapid transition that began earlier this month when the Arizona Cardinals agreed to deal the former No. 4 overall pick.
Houston sent 2027 second- and seventh-round selections to Arizona in exchange for Harrison and a 2027 sixth-rounder.
He arrived in Houston on Monday, passed his physical, and practiced for the first time on Wednesday as the Texans sought to bolster a receiving corps that has been thinned by injury. Head coach DeMeco Ryans had indicated earlier in the week that Harrison would see the field, and the active designation makes that plan official.
For Harrison, the move represents a fresh start after an uneven beginning to his professional career.
Drafted by the Cardinals in 2024 out of Ohio State, he posted solid but unspectacular numbers as a rookie before production dipped further this season.
Through four games, with Arizona he managed only five catches for 85 yards and one touchdown on 13 targets. Now he reunites with college teammate C.J. Stroud, the Texans’ quarterback with whom he shared the field at Ohio State in 2021 and 2022.
Both players have described the pairing as a natural fit, with Harrison noting the existing rapport and Stroud emphasizing that the fundamentals of route running remain familiar even if terminology differs.
The circumstances surrounding the debut remain measured. Harrison has had little time to absorb Houston’s playbook, and Ryans has acknowledged an acclimation process even while praising the receiver’s work ethic during late-night sessions with assistant coaches.
Snap counts are expected to be limited rather than starter-level, as the Texans balance the desire to integrate him quickly against the practical need to protect him from being overwhelmed on a short week.
Still, the organization views him as a talent capable of elevating an offense that sits at 1-4 and trails the 4-1 Jaguars in the AFC South.
Sunday’s game in London therefore carries significance beyond a single result. For the Texans it offers an immediate chance to see whether the investment can spark a turnaround.
For Harrison, it provides the first opportunity to rewrite the narrative that followed him out of Arizona.
At 24 years old and still early in his career, the active designation is less a guarantee of production than a signal that both sides are ready to test the pairing under the bright lights of an international stage.
