Jeremiyah Love, the Arizona Cardinals’ No. 3 overall draft pick, is already staring down a high-ankle sprain that puts his entire NFL debut season into question. This rookie running back went down in their 27-14 preseason win against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, and according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he is now seriously at risk of missing their season opener on September 13 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Forget the rest of the preseason; his Week 1 status is the real concern.
The Play That Changed Everything (Maybe)
This isn’t some minor tweak. Love’s ankle injury happened after he snagged a catch near the goal line, getting brought down in an ugly way with his feet pinned. You watch the tackle again, and it looks worse every time. Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur stayed tight-lipped on Saturday, saying Love would get more evaluation next week but not giving any specifics on the severity. Still, Schefter’s report that the team is “hopeful” he’ll be ready for Week 1 doesn’t exactly scream confidence. It’s a high-ankle sprain, folks, those things linger.
Love actually played 23 snaps in that game. He racked up 58 rushing yards on 11 carries and pulled in three catches for another 14 yards. LaFleur explained his heavy usage, saying he wanted to get his new running back some experience. “It’s a rookie that hadn’t played,” LaFleur said on Sunday. He added that he already knew how many games these guys were going to play, implying a plan for Love to get significant reps. It’s tough luck for the kid that his heavy workload, which was clearly designed to boost his confidence after a great third drive, led to him getting rolled up on during the last play.
Why This Stings So Hard For Arizona
Remember, the Cardinals were a brutal 3-14 last season before LaFleur took over for Jonathan Gannon. They picked Love third overall out of Notre Dame for a reason. This guy was a beast in college, racking up 1,372 rushing yards and 21 total touchdowns with the Fighting Irish, even finishing third in the Heisman Trophy voting. He was, without a doubt, expected to be a massive part of their offensive overhaul this season, a cornerstone of their rebuild.
Now, all that potential, all that hype, is hanging by a thread. The Cardinals are desperate to rebound from last year’s rough campaign, and Love was supposed to be a huge part of that. Whether his NFL career even gets to start on time is a total coin flip. Next week’s evaluations are going to be critical for Love, LaFleur, and the entire Cardinals organization, as they wait to see if their star rookie can avoid a major setback before the real games even begin.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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