The Arizona Cardinals drafted Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick in April to be a franchise cornerstone, not a preseason footnote. Yet here he is, sidelined for at least a week with a sore ankle, and the team's evolving descriptions should give everyone pause.
Love injured his ankle during Thursday night's preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders on August 13. Initially, head coach Mike LaFleur indicated that Love could have returned to that game if needed, suggesting a minor issue and a quick recovery. This seemed like the best possible outcome: a scare, a tweak, and a player who could get valuable reps in meaningless August football.
However, by Saturday, the outlook shifted. The Cardinals announced Love would miss the next week due to the sore ankle. Reports surfaced indicating the injury is more significant than initially believed. This rapid reassessment--from "he's fine" to "he's out for a week"--is a stark difference in the preseason and could impact his preparation for the regular season.
This situation calls for caution. The Cardinals are right to sit him, and prudence demands they consider keeping him sidelined longer if necessary. The team's prized third overall pick does not need preseason carries against backup defenders. Instead, Love needs to be healthy and ready for the regular season opener in September. In the NFL, minimal soreness can escalate into lasting issues. The Cardinals have previously faced the consequences of rushing players back from injury.
Love's situation stings because of what he represents. He is not just another rookie running back; he is the first running back taken in the top three of the draft in recent years, reflecting a strong organizational commitment to the position. The Cardinals assessed their backfield, which already includes veterans James Conner and Trey Benson, and decided they needed a star at the position--with Love as that player.
Looking at the backfield composition provides comfort amid the injury concerns. James Conner, a seasoned veteran, was limited to just three games last season due to injury. Trey Benson, drafted in 2024, has shown flashes but not enough to solidify a lead role. To further bolster their depth, the Cardinals signed Tyler Allgeier in the offseason, who rushed for 514 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025 with the Atlanta Falcons. Allgeier offers a reliable workhorse role and valuable insurance in love's absence.
While Love's injury doesn't overhaul the Cardinals' season outlook, it definitely alters their plans in this critical phase of the offseason. The original goal was to get Love double-digit touches in the preseason. Head coach LaFleur explicitly said he hoped to get Love "double digits, whether it be a couple of catches and some runs." That plan is now on hold. The next game action for Love might not come until the regular season, which, given the circumstances, might be the wisest approach.
My strong recommendation: the Cardinals should hold Love out for the remainder of the preseason altogether. There is nothing left to prove under preseason conditions. Love was the leading offensive player for Notre Dame in 2025, with speed and versatility that project well in the NFL. Seeing him run plays against second-string defenders offers little evaluative value compared to the risk of aggravating his injury.
Historical examples support this cautious approach. Saquon Barkley, the second overall pick in 2019, dealt with an ankle issue in the preseason that lingered into the regular season, costing him valuable development time. Christian McCaffrey's 2018 preseason calf strain with Carolina limited his preparation. These top talents have overcome such setbacks, but the setbacks serve as cautionary tales about the importance of protecting prized rookie assets during the preseason.
The modern NFL increasingly opts for extreme caution with franchise players in August. Patrick Mahomes sat out virtually all of the 2023 preseason, Joe Burrow did the same in 2022, and this model has proven successful. The Cardinals would be wise to emulate this with Love. He is arguably the team's top asset and the centerpiece of their rebuild. A sore ankle isn't a crisis, but rushing Love back could be.
Love's skill set also fuels the urgency in protecting him. LaFleur has praised Love's ability as a route-running back, noting that such versatility yields favorable matchup advantages, distinguishing him from a typical power runner. That skill doesn't require preseason validation; it demands preservation for the regular season.
Depth isn't a critical concern here. Bam Knight, who carried the ball 82 times in 2025 for 269 yards and four touchdowns, and Corey Kiner, a rotational back, provide additional options behind Allgeier and Conner. Jacoby Brissett, the Cardinals' veteran quarterback who threw for 3,366 yards and 23 touchdowns last season, can operate effectively without Love for a few weeks. The offense has multiple pieces to keep it functional.
Financially, the Cardinals are positioned to absorb the risk. According to Over the Cap, the team has approximately $33.88 million in salary cap space. Money alone doesn't guarantee health, however. The priority remains health and longevity, not quick fixes that can undermine a rookie's trajectory.
Love is undeniably destined to be a star. He has the speed, vision, and receiving ability to be among the league's elite backs. But star-making occurs over months of sustained health and production, not through risky preseason attempts to gain meaningless playing time. His rookie contract is a major investment, and the smartest way to protect that investment is through patience and prudence.
My prediction: Love will sit out at least the reported week and likely miss the rest of the preseason. The Cardinals want him fully healthy for their Week 1 game. By midseason, this sore ankle will be a distant memory in a rookie season that surpasses 1,200 yards from scrimmage. The Cardinals are making the correct call; they simply need to extend their timeline and avoid any temptations to rush him back in August.
The NFL is full of franchises that learned difficult lessons by pushing injured rookies prematurely. The Arizona Cardinals do not need to join that list. By sitting Love, fully healing the ankle, and preserving him for games that matter, Arizona sets the stage for a successful rookie season and a vital step in their rebuild.
That approach isn't just caution--it's calculated wisdom.