Jeremiyah Love looked as advertised and then some in his preseason debut. The only problem? He didn’t emerge from it healthy. The No. 3 overall pick suffered a high ankle sprain on his final touch of the night and is unlikely to play again this preseason, leaving the Cardinals hopeful he can return for a Week 1 contest against the Chargers on Sept. 13, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Here’s a look at the injury, which came late in the second quarter:
After the game, first-year coach Mike LaFleur said Love “could have returned” and expected him to return in time to practice this week. But on Saturday, two days after the game, LaFleur said Love would not practice this week or play in Week 2 of the preseason against the Cowboys, per AZ Central’s Theo Mackie. In fact, LaFleur did not commit to the former Notre Dame star even being available for Week 1 of the regular season, which is still nearly a month away.
“He came in yesterday a little bit more sore than he left,” LaFleur said. “He was in great spirits, even yesterday. … We’ll keep him out this week as we let it heal. So a little bit more than we were anticipating.”
When he was playing, Love looked terrific, amassing 72 yards from scrimmage on 14 touches. His explosiveness and agility jumped off the screen.
The Cardinals signed Tyler Allgeier this offseason, and he has been the clear-cut top backup to Love. Arizona still has veteran James Conner and 2024 third-rounder Trey Benson, as well as journeyman Bam Knight and several others. Both Conner (returning from a severe foot/ankle injury) and Benson (knee “flare-up”) have been dealing with injuries in the preseason.
Why did Jeremiyah Love play so much?
It’s a fair question. Love started and played until there were just seconds left before halftime. Love’s 14 touches were by far the most of any rookie drafted in the first four rounds. His 23 offensive snaps were second-most of any first-round rookie skill position player, only Browns wide receiver KC Concepcion (24).
After the game, LaFleur said he had planned before the game to get Love double-digit touches and concluded with “I like where he was at with the touches.”
One day later, of course, LaFleur learned Love’s prognosis wasn’t as promising as it seemed and then explained why, in his mind, it was important for Love to explain so much.
This is a miss for LaFleur, especially considering every other offensive starter had already left the game. Jacoby Brissett, his top targets (Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson), and the entire starting offensive line all played only one series, a 10-play drive that resulted in an Arizona touchdown. Again, Love played 23 snaps. LaFleur is a first-year coach, and balancing preseason playing time with player safety is a difficult task. Yes, it was an unlucky way for this to turn out, but Love didn’t need to be out there in the first place.
This is a bit of a triple-whammy for Arizona’s rookies. Second-round guard Chase Bisontis tore his MCL in Thursday’s win and is out for the season. Carson Beck missed the game due to some rib discomfort, though LaFleur said there’s “no concern level really.”
Cardinals running back outlook
As for the running back rotation, things have taken a bit of a turn. Arizona appeared to be a potential seller ahead of roster cuts. Conner is yet to take 11-on-11 snaps in practice, but the two-time Pro Bowler is getting closer to a return. With Love and Allgeier ahead of him in the pecking order, though, and the Cardinals not yet ready to compete, he could be an enticing trade candidate when healthy. He had consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 2023 and 2024 before the Week 3 injury last year.
Benson, who has flashed some intrigue (4.9 career yards per carry), is also down the ranks on the depth chart. Perhaps he could fetch a late-round pick for Arizona.
Love’s injury could throw a wrench into any such plans, if there were any to begin with. The Cardinals also have Knight, Corey Kiner, Evan Hull and Tre Stewart in their crowded running back room, though given the injuries to Conner, Benson and now Love, the room has thinned out considerably.
