The Arizona Cardinals just dropped their practice squad elevations for the Week 1 opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, and if you were paying attention, it was a seriously head-scratching move. Everyone expected offensive guard Matt Pryor to get the call, especially since their starting right guard, Isaiah Adams, is officially ruled out. And with Jeremiyah Love’s status up in the air, many thought running back Evan Hull would also get bumped up to give the team three healthy bodies in the backfield. But nope, the coaching staff only brought up cornerback Kalen King. Wild, right?
Why Just One Guy? It’s All About Love’s Status
King’s elevation makes perfect sense on its own, because both Garrett Williams and Rabbit Taylor-Demerson are out at corner. The defensive backfield needed help. But here’s the kicker: only bringing up King, and not Hull, means the Cardinals are rolling into Los Angeles with only three running backs: Tyler Allgeier, Jeremiyah Love, and Bam Knight. This decision absolutely screams confidence about Love’s availability, even with him still officially listed as “questionable” for the game. If they were truly worried, Hull would be on that flight.
Earlier this week, head coach Mike LaFleur was telling everyone that Love was “trending well” toward playing in the Week 1 matchup. He was nursing a high ankle sprain just last weekend, but he’s back at practice this week. The team has insisted all along that it’s a minor injury, and that he’s getting closer to full recovery. LaFleur plans to use a split backfield, sharing snaps with Allgeier and Bam Knight, so Love’s workload might be managed in his NFL debut. Still, LaFleur has also stated that playing the rookie will be a game-time decision, which begs the question: are the Cardinals really comfortable heading into this game with potentially only two healthy backs if Love is limited or can’t go?
Game Time Decision and Offensive Line Woes
For Cardinals fans, it would be a total bummer if Love doesn’t play. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding what this rookie running back can do at the NFL level. Remember back in April, heading into the NFL draft? Running back wasn’t even listed as a major need for Arizona. With James Conner and Trey Benson on the mend, the thought was that if those two recovered, the Cardinals could have used that No. 3 overall pick on a pass rusher or an offensive lineman. Love isn’t damaged, it’s just one of those annoying, basketball-style ankle tweaks that heals up.
But it does make you wonder: should the Cardinals risk him in the opener if it truly comes down to a game-time decision right before kickoff? Maybe a little more time to heal would be better, especially with the offensive line still looking suspect. Jon Gaines is slated to be the third different guy to start at right guard, which is not exactly confidence-inspiring. Inactives for Sunday will be announced 90 minutes ahead of kickoff at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The pressure is on for Love to be ready, or this running back room could be stretched thin.
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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