Arizona Cardinals rookie running back Jeremiyah Love will miss at least a week of practice after suffering an ankle injury during his preseason debut against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night, head coach Mike LaFleur announced on Saturday.
Preseason Debut Cut Short by Injury
The Arizona Cardinals played their second preseason game on Thursday night against the Las Vegas Raiders, a contest that marked the much-anticipated preseason debut of rookie ball carrier Jeremiyah Love. Selected third overall in the draft, Love wasted little time demonstrating the playmaking ability that made him a standout at Notre Dame during the 2025 season.
Before sustaining the injury, Love racked up 72 yards from scrimmage on 14 touches. The explosive performance offered fans a glimpse of why the franchise invested heavily in the rookie following a college campaign in which he rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns, earning the fourth-highest running back impact score in college football at 91.9.
Cardinals Adjust Timeline After Slower Recovery
Initial optimism following Thursday’s victory quickly gave way to caution. Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur initially indicated on Thursday night that the rookie could have returned to the field if the team had needed him to finish the game.
“He was in great spirits, even Friday,” LaFleur said, via team beat reporter Zach Gershman. “But we’ll keep him out this week as we let it heal. So, a little bit more sore than we were anticipating.”
Mike LaFleur
That increased soreness rules Love out for at least the next week of work, sidelining him specifically for the upcoming preseason matchup against the Dallas Cowboys next Saturday. LaFleur declined to commit to a firm return date ahead of the team’s third preseason fixture, noting that training staff will monitor his progress closely. LaFleur told reporters on Saturday morning that Love’s ankle is a little more sore
and that he will miss at least the next week of work as a result. LaFleur would not commit to Love’s return ahead of the team’s third preseason game and said that they will re-evaluate the third overall pick’s status down the line.
Impact on Arizona’s Ground Game
Last season, the Cardinals struggled to establish any consistency on the ground, finishing with the lowest total rushing yards in the entire NFC and ranking ahead of only the Raiders league-wide. In fact, they had the worst rush offense in the NFC by total rushing yards, and only the Raiders had fewer total rushing yards across the entire league last season.
To solve those persistent rushing woes, the organization not only drafted Love near the top of the board but also invested heavily in its offensive line during the offseason to further strengthen its ground game. This injury could put the rookie ball carrier’s Week 1 status into doubt. For now, though, the team is focusing on what’s ahead, as Arizona also invested heavily in its offensive line this offseason.
Next Steps in the Tempe Block
For now, the coaching staff is keeping the team’s immediate schedule compartmentalized while practice continues at the team facility. The backfield depth chart in Arizona currently features Tyler Allgeier, James Connor, Trey Benson, Bam Knight, Evan Hull, and Corey Kiner as the other backs in Arizona sharing reps in Love’s absence.
“This week and then we’ll kind of go from there and reevaluate,” LaFleur added. “Honestly, all the focus is on August 15th, Saturday. Here we are in our Tempe block (of practice). We’ll kind of reevaluate going into next week. But (Love) will be out this week.”
Mike LaFleur
LaFleur spoke with reporters Saturday morning and confirmed that the rookie ball carrier will miss a little bit of time due to this issue, noting that Love was in great spirits, even Friday, according to comments shared via team beat reporter Zach Gershman. The team will continue to monitor the situation and assess the roster as they prepare for their upcoming schedule during the current practice block in Tempe.
