Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison Sr. has been added as a defendant to the lawsuit between his son, Arizona Cardinals wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., and Fanatics (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
Per Florio, Fanatics accused Harrison Sr. of attempting to create the impression that his son was signing a “Binding Term Sheet” when his own signature was on the document. The company is accusing the Harrisons of fraud by knowingly inducing Fanatics to commit to the agreement after the alleged intentional signature difference.
On May 18, Fanatics initially filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Harrison Jr. after he signed a $1 million deal with the company in 2023.
Fanatics claimed that the company made a non-exclusive agreement with Harrison in April 2023 before entering into “a fully binding and enforceable contract” in May 2023, per the lawsuit.
In an affidavit on July 26, Harrison Jr. said that the agreement was between his company, The Official Harrison Collection, and Fanatics instead of himself. In a separate affidavit, Harrison Sr. said that he signed the binding term sheet as an authorized representative.
“It is not an agreement between Fanatics and me,” Harrison Jr. said in the filing, per Weinfuss. “I was never requested to, nor did I ever, sign any document that personally obligated me to do anything concerning the ‘Binding Term Sheet.'”
“I never intended to be personally bound by the ‘Binding Term Sheet’ and I am not personally bound by it,” he added.
Fanatics is now able to sue both members of the Harrison family and can extend the case beyond more limited breach-of-contract damages to the broader scope of recovery available in a tort case due to the signature (via Florio).
Harrison Jr. was selected by the Cardinals with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, while his father earned eight Pro Bowl nods throughout his 13-year career with the Indianapolis Colts.
