Marvin Harrison Jr. Removed From Madden 25?

One of the biggest selling points of the yearly Madden NFL release is the addition of new rookie players. Being able to start a new Franchise with the flashy young player your favorite team drafted on the roster is one of the benefits of getting the latest entry. However, one top pick in this year’s draft might not be in the game when Madden NFL 25 releases in a few months.

Fanatics v. Harrison Jr.

This week, memorabilia manufacturer Fanatics filed a lawsuit against Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. In the lawsuit, Fanatics claims that Harrison has failed to uphold his obligations to a previous licensing agreement. Fanatics also claims that Harrison “publicly asserted” that this agreement does not exist.

Harrison Jr. was selected with the fourth overall pick in last month’s NFL Draft. Afterwards, Harrison Jr. did not sign the normal NFLPA group licensing agreement. This agreement would have allowed Harrison’s likeness to be used to create things like jerseys, memorabilia, trading cards, as well as be used in video games like Madden NFL.

Sources close to Harrison Jr. told The Pat McAfee Show that Harrison had turned down a deal with Fanatics when he was a sophomore in college. According to these sources, this deal would have run through his second season in the NFL. McAfee said on his show, “What we have been told is the price of Marvin Harrison Jr. as a rookie and second year in the NFL is not the same as when he was a sophomore in college.”

We have heard from source(s) inside the Marvin Harrison Jr. camp..

This isn't about the NFLPA & he'll be part of it when the time comes..

This all revolves around a potential beef with Fanatics from an offer that was made when he was a sophomore in College #PMSLive https://t.co/Tm4dV9Ys7l pic.twitter.com/G6u6xVqHEu

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 1, 2024

However, Fanatics asserts that there was a deal made with Harrison. Sources told Josh Weinfuss of ESPN earlier this month that the deal was signed before Harrison’s final year at Ohio State and was worth in excess of $1 million. The lawsuit from Fanatics claims they agreed to a binding term sheet with Harrison on May 16, 2023, which was finalized a couple days later. The lawsuit claims Harrison has ignored requests from Fanatics to fulfill his obligations of the deal. The suit also claims that Harrison revealed confidential information about his deal to ESPN. Fanatics estimated the damages of these actions to be worth millions of dollars.

Is He In the Game?

Sources confirmed to Sports Gamers Online that Marvin Harrison Jr. will not be included in the game until he signs the NFLPA group licensing agreement. This is unprecedented for a first-round draft pick, let alone a top-five pick. Cardinals fans will surely be disappointed if their top draft pick is not in the game in a few months. Hopefully, this issue will be resolved soon, and Harrison will make his debut in the game alongside his fellow rookies.