Marvin Harrison Jr.'s tenure with the Cardinals is done. Others might follow out the door

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The clunky conclusion to Marvin Harrison Jr.'s flameout with the Arizona Cardinals was the lowlight this week for a franchise that's had a lot of them in recent seasons.

It's fair to wonder if others in the organization could soon be following the former No. 4 overall pick out the door.

Harrison's awkward trade to the Houston Texans — which happened in the middle of the Cardinals' embarrassing 45-21 loss to the Detroit Lions — was another stain on general manager Monti Ossenfort's resume. Ossenfort has a 16-40 record after three-plus seasons in the desert and things don't look like they're getting better anytime soon.

"Decisions like this are never easy,” Ossenfort said in a statement after the Harrison trade became official Monday. “Ultimately, we have to do what is best for our football team and that will always be the driving factor. We are extremely grateful to Marvin for what he has contributed to our organization and wish him the very best as he moves forward in his career."

Ossenfort's draft history — particularly with first-round selections — hasn't been great. The Cardinals selected left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. at No. 6 in 2023, and he's been good, but not necessarily the franchise anchor that many expected. Now he's out for the season with a torn left biceps.

Harrison obviously didn't work out and the Cardinals' other pick in the first round in 2024 was No. 27 selection Darius Robinson, a defensive lineman who has failed to make much impact. In 2025, the Cardinals selected defensive lineman Walter Nolen III, who has flashed some potential but has struggled with injuries and hasn't consistently produced.

Ossenfort isn't the only one under pressure in the organization.

Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis had another rough day against the Lions. Arizona's defense has given up 37 points per game during the four-game losing streak.

First-year coach Mike LaFleur inherited Rallis from the previous staff and — at least for now — still believes he's the man for the job.

“We just haven't consistently done it for 60 minutes," LaFleur said. “We need to tackle that. There's going to be no changes with play-callers, but we're looking at how to improve this defense and make sure that we are better than what we're putting out there. ... I do believe we have the right guys on defense to play better.”

Finally, there's quarterback Jacoby Brissett's situation. The 33-year-old Brissett had another decent statistical game vs. the Lions with 292 yards passing, three touchdowns and an interception, but he has a 2-15 record as the team's starter over the past two seasons.

It's fair to wonder if the Cardinals might look to the future and give rookie Carson Beck a shot under center. The 24-year-old was a third-round selection out of Miami and had some good moments during the preseason.

All-Pro tight end Trey McBride continues to be among the best players in the NFL. He caught nine passes for 66 yards, including an unreal nine-yard catch in the fourth quarter where he fought for a contested ball, snagging it out of the air and somehow keeping both feet down in the end zone. The only blemish was the highlight happened after the game was out of hand.

The Cardinals' running game didn't do much at all against the Lions. Rookie Jeremiyah Love gained just 22 yards on 12 carries and he was constantly swallowed at the line of scrimmage. Arizona had to make changes along the offensive line last week with Johnson going on season-ending injured reserve and right guard Isaiah Adams (ankle) out for at least four weeks. The early results were shaky.

There were a lot of people — including droves of Cardinals fans — who probably didn't know that third-string TE Teagan Quitoriano was even on the roster. But he came up big Sunday, catching two TD passes, including the first score which briefly gave the Cardinals a 7-0 lead. The 26-year-old has emerged as another threat in a deep tight end room that includes McBride and Elijah Higgins.

Love — the No. 3 overall pick out of Notre Dame — is a talented player who has already displayed explosive and shifty moments out of the backfield. But with the Cardinals' offensive line looking a little rough, it might be hard to unlock his potential.

The Cardinals emerged from the game relatively healthy.

9 — That's the length of the team's current home losing streak, which is a franchise record for an organization that dates to 1920.

The Cardinals travel to face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (1) catches a touchdown pass as Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker (3) defends during the first half of an NFL football game in Glendale, Ariz., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur watches against the Detroit Lions during the first half of an NFL football game in Glendale, Ariz., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Detroit Lions cornerback D.J. Reed (4) breaks up a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson (14) during the second half of an NFL football game in Glendale, Ariz., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) — A Rhode Island pumpkin grower appears to have broken the world record for the heaviest pumpkin, with his giant squash topping the current record by nearly 300 pounds (136 kilograms).

Ron Wallace of Greene, Rhode Island, weighed his pumpkin Saturday at a contest in New England and is now waiting for the Guinness Book of World Records to confirm he smashed the record, set about a week earlier by a grower in England. Wallace said he's been in contact with Guinness officials who say his record is on track to be verified.

“It’s truly massive, it was a pleasure to grow,” Wallace said Monday by phone.

The Guinness Book of World Records currently lists a 2,857-pound (1,296-kilogram) squash grown by Ian Paton, of Lymington, England, as the record holder, set on Oct. 3.

Guinness officials did not respond to a request for comment.

The record-breaking gourd comes as growers across the world are joining competitions this month in the hopes their pumpkins will be crowned king. In Northern California on Monday, a Minnesota grower won a prominent annual competition for the fifth time in a row.

Wallace went home with $3,500 at his local contest. He said other competitions tried to entice him with bigger prize money, some totaling $70,000, but it was important for him to be surrounded by his hometown for the record-setting win.

“I was just ecstatic, the place just exploded,” Wallace said, describing the moment the pumpkin was weighed.

Wallace says he owes a lot to the pumpkin-growing community who always freely share tips and tricks to grow the biggest gourd. For the first time this year, Wallace began growing his pumpkins in a greenhouse, which he says makes a big difference.

“The only way you create a 3,000-pound pumpkin is a community working together,” he said.

Wallace got into the hobby after starting his own business selling gardening supplies online. He's proud to be a part of the pumpkin-growing community and says competitions help legitimize growers. According to Wallace, the agriculture industry is increasingly reaching out to pumpkin-growers, asking for advice on soil and other growing techniques.

In Northern California, a pumpkin named Rocky won a major annual pumpkin-weighing contest, tipping the scale at 2,389 pounds (1,083 kilograms), but fell far short of a possible new world record.

Horticulture teacher Travis Gienger hauled his pumpkin across the country from Minnesota to win the contest for a fifth time. He's going home with $21,501 in prize money after beating dozens of other giant pumpkin-growers in Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco.

He missed out on last year's contest because his pumpkin broke while growing. Hoping for a comeback story, he named this year’s pumpkin “Rocky” after the iconic boxer played by Sylvester Stallone.

“Five-time champion, that’s what we came here to do,” Gienger said following the win.

Gienger and his family drove 35 hours, lugging a pumpkin the size of a small car, to California.

Gienger grows his gourds in his backyard pumpkin patch in Anoka, a city on the banks of the Mississippi River north of Minneapolis, according to Ronan Fowler, the competition’s organizer. This year, Gienger had to deal with temperatures that dipped below freezing, and he says that in order to start competing more seriously, he’ll likely have to start growing pumpkins in a climate-controlled environment like Wallace.

“The fact that Travis can weather the elements, like 30-degree weather, and still grow this massive pumpkin is pretty unbelievable,” Fowler said.

Hundreds attended the 53rd World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off to enjoy food trucks, music, and pumpkin-related jokes. Earlier in the day, the crowd went wild when a very symmetrical pumpkin named Tinkerbell won the prettiest pumpkin contest.

The prize money was calculated at $9 per pound of pumpkin, and Gienger's winning gourd will be showcased during a parade through Half Moon Bay this weekend. Gienger missed out on an extra prize of $30,000 for breaking the world record.

Sadly, these giants are grown for their size, not flavor, so there were no giant pumpkin pies at the end of the festival.

Rodriguez reported from San Francisco.

A woman looks toward a pumpkin that will be entered in the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Jesus Cruzaley, 10, midde right, celebrates with his grandfather, Harold Stern, after his pumpkin was weighed at the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

People prepare a pumpkin for the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

FILE - Brandon Dawson, left, celebrates after winning the Safeway 52nd annual World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, Calif., Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)

Miles, 6, drives past a large pumpkin that will entered in the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, in Half Moon Bay, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)