Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love, rocking the #4 for the Arizona Cardinals, is officially on the sidelines after getting banged up in a preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders on August 13, 2026. This isn’t some minor bruise, folks; the fallout is real. His projected rushing total for the entire season has absolutely nose-dived, with our buddies at FanDuel Sportsbook setting his over/under for yards rushing at 725.5. This whole situation just feels like a gut punch, and it all stems from some head-scratching decisions.
Rookie Workload: What Were They Thinking?
Look, everyone knows a rookie needs game reps to get “game ready.” That’s not up for debate. But what in the world were the Cardinals thinking throwing Love out there for fourteen first-half touches against the Raiders? Fourteen! In a preseason game! It’s just wild, man. A survey from SB Nation Reacts shows that the majority of plugged-in Cardinals fans chalk it up to “just an unfortunate play.” And yeah, sometimes bad luck happens. But you also gotta look at the context, right? Is putting a rookie running back through that kind of grinder in a meaningless preseason half truly “getting him ready”? Because to me, that kind of usage paces him for more than 450 touches in a full season. Seriously, how long can any rookie running back, let alone this one, hold up under that kind of relentless pounding? It just doesn’t compute.
The Cost Of A Risky Bet
I’ve been saying it, and I’ll keep saying it: this usage made no sense from the jump. My ideal plan for a guy like Love would have been a gentle ramp-up. Give him 3-4 touches in Game 1 to get his feet wet, maybe crank it up to 6-8 touches in Game 2, and then, for the love of all that is holy, you bubble wrap him until Week 1! Protect your future, you know? Instead, he didn’t even see the field in Game 1. Then, bam, he’s handed 14 touches in Game 2, and now he’s sidelined. He’s not expected to be out there for the upcoming joint practices with the Green Bay Packers. And unless some miracle happens, he won’t be closing out the preseason against the Packers either. They’re still playing the Dallas Cowboys tonight, and Love is a no-go. This isn’t just about an injury; it’s about the timing and how it happened. It feels like a completely avoidable situation that puts a real damper on his rookie year before it even properly starts.
So, the Cardinals are chugging along, heading into those joint practices with the Packers and then the preseason finale. But for Jeremiyah Love, the stakes are crystal clear: can he bounce back and be healthy by Week 1? That 725.5 rushing yards line from FanDuel is sitting there, daring you to take the over. But after seeing him get 14 touches in a half and then go down, it makes you wonder if that over is even reachable anymore. Here’s hoping the kid can get back on the field soon and prove us all wrong.
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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