Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love is officially OUT this week with an ankle injury, and honestly, what a gut punch for a team already trying to find its footing. Head coach Mike LaFleur dropped the news Saturday morning, admitting Love’s ankle was “a little more sore than they had anticipated.” That phrase alone should make any fan nervous. This isn’t just some minor setback; a mere two days after their Thursday evening preseason victory over the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium, the Cardinals had their top four draft picks either done for the season or missing practice time due to various bangs and bruises. You gotta wonder what’s going on down there already.
The Silence on Week 1 Is LOUD
LaFleur’s update on Love’s ankle would be concerning enough, but the real red flag? The coach “cannot or will not comment” on Love’s status for Week 1. Let that sink in. Not being able to give an update on your high-investment player’s availability for the regular season opener? That’s not just a bad sign, it’s a blaring siren. For a player like Love, who the staff emphasized needs “real, live reps” in preseason to work on being “more decisive with his reads” and getting “acclimated to NFL speed,” every single practice and game snap is critical. Now he’s missing crucial time, and his Week 1 future is up in the air before the regular season even truly begins on September 13th.
Was That Preseason Workload Necessary?
Here’s where you have to look sideways at the coaching staff’s approach. Earlier this offseason, LaFleur himself explicitly mentioned the need to get Love “more work than expected” in the preseason. We all understand the philosophy behind getting young running backs those live reps. It makes sense on paper. But when Love clocked in with 14 touches in that very first preseason game against the Raiders, a lot of us were probably raising an eyebrow. Think about it: 14 touches in one preseason contest puts him on an absurd pace for 238 touches over the entire season. That’s not just a lot; it’s 13 more touches than his career high of 229 back at Notre Dame. Was it really necessary to push him to that kind of pace in Week 1 of the preseason, risking injury, especially with the high investment they have in the guy? It feels like the current criticism on LaFleur for this exact situation is completely justified. You want your top talent developing, not sidelined and nursing an injury that could affect the start of their career.
All we can do now is hope this ankle issue isn’t a lingering problem. A week off, some dedicated rehab, and much-needed rest will hopefully get Love back on track and ready to go for September 13th. The Cardinals absolutely need him healthy and making an impact, not stuck on the sidelines wondering if he was pushed too hard too soon.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Revenge of the Birds.
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