Former Arizona Cardinals (then St. Louis Cardinals) wide receiver Ahmad Rashad was drafted as a first-round pick in 1972 and subsequently traded to the Buffalo Bills in 1974. Now, decades later, a similar trend is catching up in Arizona, where Marvin Harrison Jr. became the first WR since Rashad to be traded in his first three seasons.
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As Steve Keim, who spent a decade as the Cardinals’ GM, witnessed this happening, he called out his former team on Instagram, adding,
“I would have at least started Beck before a trade to see if there was any synergy between the big 4 @treymcbride , Harrison, Wilson and Love. You need a body of work to Make decisions That benefit the future.”
The former GM seemingly criticized the Cardinals for giving up on the young wide receiver before seeing if he could produce any meaningful snaps with QB Carson Beck.
The Cardinals sent their young WR and a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Texans in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a seventh-round pick. The trade didn’t sit well with many as the wide receiver posted strong numbers during his rookie season. Posting 62 catches for 885 yards and 8 touchdowns, Harrison looked like a core piece before his involvement completely vanished in Arizona.
Arizona Cardinals’ front office defended the decision to trade their former top pick during their press conference. Ossenfort claimed they did “what is best for our football team.”
Head coach Mike LaFleur blamed himself for Harrison’s poor production, noting, “Any guy that does not play to the level that I feel like they’re capable of, I’m always going to put that on me.”
Marvin Harrison’s production took a significant hit before his trade. He went from averaging 6.8 targets per game to 3.2. It wasn’t just the targets that showed his decreased involvement; his playing time also diminished considerably.
One of the many reasons why Steve Keim was so frustrated with the front office’s decision to trade is because they refused to sit out Jacoby Brissett after losing four consecutive games. Arizona went 1-4 in those contests with the 33-year-old QB. It’s obvious that they didn’t want to give the young wide receiver a chance to thrive with a different quarterback.
One player who had the potential to improve greatly with Marvin Harrison is the backup quarterback, Carson Beck. The Cardinals selected Beck with the 65th overall pick in the third round of the 2026 draft. Beck entered the pros with 43 college starts and went 37-6 as a starter. The rookie also had an impressive 15 of 19 completions for 188 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton this summer.
Beck’s strong arm would’ve been a good fit for the young wide receiver, but it wasn’t enough. Arizona didn’t let the two develop any chemistry on the field together.
That is what really ticks off Steve Keim about the trade. He laid out what he would’ve done if he had the Cardinals’ current roster.
“Today I would take a walk down to the HC’s office and say Carson Beck is starting this week. It’s time.”
Now, it will be interesting to see whether the Cardinals end up regretting their decision to trade Marvin Harrison Jr. as they continue to progress through the season.