Marvin Harrison Jr. underwent surgery earlier in the week to address acute appendicitis, and now he will miss the Cardinals’ Week 11 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday.

Harrison’s exact timeline to return depends on how his recovery progresses. Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon had left the door open for a potential longer-term absence. “We’ll see,” he said when asked if Harrison could be out for an extended period.

The head coach adopted a pragmatic tone about the situation, saying, “Yeah, that’s life. That’s life in the NFL. It’s our job to put a plan together, get our guys ready to go.”

While appendicitis surgery is generally considered to be a 20-minute to one-hour procedure using laparoscopic techniques, the recovery varies significantly between individuals. Medical professionals typically estimate recovery times between two to four weeks for most patients, though elite athletes have demonstrated faster returns to play in certain circumstances.​

Notable examples include Patrick Mahomes, who returned to play just 11 days after appendicitis surgery. Matt Cassel, who played for the Kansas City Chiefs four days after undergoing an emergency appendectomy in 2010.

However, Dr. Kevin Schrand, a general surgeon, emphasized that while patients typically leave the hospital one to two days after surgery, there are primary restrictions to avoid heavy lifting during initial recovery.

The timing of Harrison’s absence itself comes at an exceptionally difficult time for Arizona’s offensive capabilities. The Cardinals have been dealt multiple blows to their wide receiver depth in recent days: Zay Jones, who was in his second season with the Cardinals, suffered a torn left Achilles tendon in Week 10 against Seattle and is out for the remainder of the season.

Simi Fehoko “is going to miss some time” with an arm injury, and Xavier Weaver is also dealing with an undisclosed injury, further depleting the receiver room.  With Harrison sidelined, Michael Wilson is expected to step into the No. 1 receiving role. The Cardinals are 3-6 on the season and already struggling offensively, making this injury particularly problematic.

Marvin Harrison Jr.’s absence adds onto the Arizona’s struggles

The Cardinals’ offensive line has ranked 27th in the NFL according to PFSN’s Team OL Impact, with a 64.4 overall grade that represents the franchise’s worst performance since at least 2019. Against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10, Arizona allowed five sacks, including two that turned into scoop-and-score plays for Seattle’s defense. The squad gave up 23 pressures, the ninth-most in a single game all season.​

Additionally, in 2024, the Cardinals ranked second in yards per carry at 5.3 but have plummeted to 4.3 yards per carry through 10 games this season. When filtering out Kyler Murray’s scrambles, the figure drops to approximately four yards per carry, ranking tied for 20th in the league.

On the other hand, San Francisco enters Week 11 with a 6-4 record. Despite a season-ending ACL injury to star defensive end Nick Bosa, they remain a formidable opponent, ranking 20th in total defense, allowing an average of 339.4 yards per game. Their pass defense ranks 22nd, giving up about 228.8 passing yards per game and allowing 19 passing touchdowns. It’s comparatively higher than the Cardinals’ 10 passing TDs allowed through Week 10. The upcoming Sunday clash is going to be an intense one as the two teams will battle for divisional positioning.