Cardinals’ rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. has just been sued by collectible manufacturing company Fanatics for a breach of contract.
TEMPE, AZ– Collectible manufacturing company Fanatics has launched a civil suit against Cardinals’ first-round draft pick Marvin Harrison Jr. for breach of contract. The suit, which was filed in New York’s Supreme Court, alleges that Harrison has refused to fulfill his obligations to the deal while he also “publicly asserted” that the contract does not exist.
The contract in question is a little known licensing agreement between Fanatics and rising college football prospects that attempts to sign talent to a multi-year licensing agreement, which according to some sources lasts four years, in order to market the player via jerseys, trading cards, and other collectible goods.
Fanatics says that the relationship between the company and Harrison started in May 2023, when Harrison was only a sophomore in college. On a four-year contract, the agreement would’ve been binding through Harrison’s second year in the NFL, something that his camp would like to avoid. Harrison’s stock might’ve been lower than it is now when Fanatics made their initial offer and the suit alleges that the two parties entered into a binding contract. Speculation has it that Harrison is trying to capitalize on his increased stock– namely as a first-round draft pick by trying to wiggle out of a contract, if it even existed.
The lawsuit does state however though, that the two parties confirm that there was never a true contract signed. Simply a term sheet. The question that is being asked is whether or not a term sheet is a legal binding document, and does Marvin Harrison Jr. have to abide by that document? Fanatics alleges that Marvin Harrison Jr. has used the sheet as a bargaining tool. Fanatics, supposedly refusing to be a pawn in Harrison’s plan, intends to enforce his term sheet to the full extent, something that has been in contention.
The suit also sites “The Official Harrison Collection LLC” as a defendant. Harrison is selling signed memorabilia through the brand’s website, which Harrison owns. Items include photos up to $149, a jersey at $299.99– more than double what an NFL jersey costs, and a helmet for as much as $549.99. The site, which says, “Cardinals memorabilia coming soon,” states that it is “the ONLY website to purchase signed Harrison memorabilia.”
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“Fanatics holds incredible partnerships with more than 3,000 athletes, including many of top rookies who entered the NFL, MLB and NBA over the last two years,” Fanatics said in a statement. “Fanatics and Marvin Harrison Jr. agreed to a similarly lucrative deal with phenomenal incentives as he begins his NFL career, but he has publicly rejected the deal he signed, and has instead tried to pressure Fanatics into paying him vastly more money. … this is the first time we’ve encountered a situation like this and Fanatics, unfortunately, had no other option than formal litigation for the enforcement of its contractual rights. Even so, it is still our preference that Marvin Harrison Jr. honors his contract, but if he will not, Fanatics will ask the court to address his refusal.”
Up until only a couple days ago, Marvin Harrison Jr. did not even have a deal with the NFLPA, the players’ association for the NFL. However, that situation has resolved when Harrison Jr. signed his rookie contract for the Cardinals which joined him into the NFLPA’s Group Licensing Agreement. This will allow for his jersey to be sold but not much else. He still is not a part of the NFLPA’s full-scale licensing agreement.
