Arizona Cardinals rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is now in a legal battle with Fanatics.
The clothing company filed a lawsuit against Harrison in New York Supreme Court on Saturday night. according to ESPN, alleging that he breached a contract they agreed to last May. Fans said that Harrison refused to honor his obligations in the contract and that he “publicly claimed” that the contract does not actually exist.
Fanatics said that despite paying Harrison twice, he has “refused to honor his obligations” after “several requests.” In fact, the company claimed, Harrison “rejected or ignored every request” that was submitted.
Details of the settlement are not yet known and were removed from the lawsuit, according to ESPN. However, the deal was reported to be worth at least $1 million and included autographs, trading cards, game-used clothing, and more.
Fanatics claims in the lawsuit that at one point Harrison said a “major competitor” made him an offer and that he received “competing” offers from other trading card companies while demanding that Fanatics match or beat the other offers, which, according to the lawsuit, company, Harrison never actually provided evidence of this. They said he had also begun “negotiating competitive deals with other trading or sports card companies.”
Harrison reportedly signed his contract with Fanatics in 2023. According to the report, he does not have an agent and was instead represented by his father, who is Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison Sr. According to the lawsuit, they accepted the contract. in May 2023 and would expire just before the NFL Draft last month. Harrison also has not yet signed the NFL Players Association’s group licensing agreement.
Fanatics is seeking a jury trial with its lawsuit and requested “millions of dollars” in damages.
The Cardinals selected Harrison with the fourth overall pick in the draft last month. He was widely considered the best receiver available in the draft after an excellent career at Ohio State, where he racked up more than 1,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in each of his final two seasons with the Buckeyes.