This week, the legal battle between Fanatics and Marvin Harrison Jr. took an intriguing twist. The company has modified its lawsuit, adding some significant new elements.

First, Marvin Harrison Sr. – the Hall of Fame wide receiver and father of Harrison Jr. – has been included as a defendant in the case. The revised lawsuit now contains accusations of fraud against both Harrison Sr. and Harrison Jr., who was selected fourth overall by the Arizona Cardinals this past April.

Prior to his last season at Ohio State in 2023, Harrison Jr. reportedly reached a $1.05 million agreement with Fanatics to market his autographs and merchandise worn in games. In May, Fanatics initiated its original lawsuit, claiming that Harrison Jr. failed to meet the conditions of the contract.

Subsequently, in July, Harrison Jr.’s lawyer, Andrew Staulcup, sought to have the case dismissed, asserting that his client never signed the initial contract. The Harrisons argue that it was actually Harrison Sr. who executed the contract for the Official Harrison Collection, which is owned by Harrison Jr.

“This is not an agreement between me and Fanatics,” Harrison Jr. stated in the July documents. “I was neither asked to sign nor did I ever sign any document that obligated me regarding the ‘Binding Term Sheet.'”

In the updated lawsuit, Fanatics now claims that the signature on the original contract “strongly resembles” Harrison Jr.’s signature rather than Harrison Sr.’s. Fanatics argues that this leaves two possibilities: either Harrison Jr. signed the contract, or Harrison Sr. fraudulently signed it pretending to be his son to mislead Fanatics.

“The defendants’ wrongdoing is evident now,” reads the revised lawsuit from Fanatics. “They intentionally misled Fanatics into entering the Binding Term Sheet, never intending to comply; imitated Harrison Jr.’s signature to deceive Fanatics into thinking he had signed for his company; and exploited corporate structure in a fraudulent effort to shield themselves (and the company) from any repercussions.”

This legal dispute may also be linked to the unavailability of Harrison Jr.’s jersey for sale. The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) notified the NFL, the Cardinals, and Fanatics earlier this month that they cannot sell Harrison Jr.’s jersey “based on the wishes of his representatives,” as reported by NFL Media. Fanatics is responsible for manufacturing and distributing all Nike-branded NFL merchandise, including jerseys.

Harrison Jr. does not currently have an agent and is managing his own affairs. During his time in college, he collaborated with his father on contract matters, such as the agreement with Fanatics, which is presently under examination.