Report: Fanatics expands fraud lawsuit against Marvin Harrison Jr. to include his father

Fanatics has now included Marvin Harrison Sr. in its legal battle against new Arizona Cardinals rookie Marvin Harrison Jr.

The apparel company refiled its lawsuit against the younger Harrison on Friday, according to ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss. The new suit included his father, the Hall of Fame wide receiver, and alleged that he “aided and abetted" his son's fraud against the company.

Fanatics first filed a lawsuit against Harrison Jr. in May, alleging that he breached a contract they had agreed to in 2023 and that he’s “publicly asserted” that the contract doesn’t actually exist. In the new suit, Fanatics claims that both defendants "deliberately misled Fanatics into believing there was a binding contract between Harrison Jr., his company and Fanatics, and that Harrison Jr. had signed that contract." It also claims that Harrison Sr. “further led Fanatics to believe that Harrison Jr. had signed the Binding Terms Sheet.”

Fanatics said that it was led to believe that it was negotiating the initial contract with Harrison Jr. through his father, according to the report, and that they thought it would be Harrison Jr. who signed it. Harrison Sr., however, was allegedly the one who signed the contract. The company said that the two men’s signatures bear “a striking resemblance.”

Fanatics initially struck a deal worth at least $1 million with Harrison Jr. in May 2023 to include autographs and game-worn apparel, among other things. The company has long said that he did not live up to that deal. In an affidavit from July, per the report, Harrison Jr. said that he “never intended to be personally bound by the 'Binding Term Sheet' and I am not personally bound by it." Both Harrison Jr. and Sr. said in affidavits that it was Harrison Sr. who signed the binding term sheet.

Harrison Jr. does not have an agent and was represented by his father. The Cardinals selected Harrison with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft earlier this offseason out of Ohio State. Harrison hasn’t signed the licensing deal with the NFLPA, either, and his jerseys are still not available to be purchased by fans.

Harrison racked up more than 1,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in each of his last two seasons with the Buckeyes. He played briefly during the preseason for the Cardinals, but did not record a catch. Arizona, which went just 4-13 last season, will open the year against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 8.