Jeremiyah Love injury updates: Latest news on Cardinals rookie RB dealing with preseason ankle injury

Jeremiyah Love injury updates: Latest news on Cardinals rookie RB dealing with preseason ankle injury originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Arizona Cardinals don't carry very high expectations into Year 1 under Mike LaFleur, but Jeremiyah Love should be one of the bright spots in 2026.

Drafted No. 3 overall in April — a premium draft slot for a running back — Love is expected to immediately become one of the NFL's most explosive weapons as a rookie. Alongside Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson within Arizona's offense, he may have a chance at contending for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Love made his Cardinals debut in Thursday's preseason matchup vs. the Raiders, but LaFleur shared afterward that the running back will now be sidelined with an injury.

Here's what to know about Love's injury status moving forward.

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Love didn't play in the Hall of Fame game, but did take snaps for Arizona in its second preseason matchup on Thursday night. He took his 11 carries for 58 yards and three receptions for 14 yards.

However, LaFleur said Saturday that Love injured his left ankle in Arizona's matchup, dealing with soreness around the ankle.

Per ESPN, LaFleur said Love was "more sore than we were anticipating" on Friday after the game. The team expects him to be sidelined for around a week to let his ankle heal; Love will be re-evaluated next week before the Cardinals decide whether he'll continue playing in the preseason.

"He was in great spirits even yesterday," LaFleur said.

Love's injury isn't considered significant, but there is a chance the team wants to be precautionary and keep him out of preseason games until Week 1.

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Love began dealing with left ankle soreness after his Cardinals debut in their second preseason game.

Arizona is holding him out of practice and preseason games for around a week for precautionary reasons, and Love will then be re-evaluated.

Arizona's decision to draft Love at No. 3 overall came despite the team already boasting some solid running back depth.

Love is expected to handle plenty of reps throughout the 2026 season, but next-in-line appears to be veteran James Conner, who posted consecutive 1,000-yard seasons for Arizona in 2023 and 2024 before a foot injury held him to just three games in 2025.

Conner has yet to participate in 11-on-11 drills or preseason so far, but LaFleur said he's "progressing."

"I'm not going to give you a timeline on it because we don't know that timeline yet," LaFleur said Saturday of Conner, per ESPN. "And, again, like I've said multiple times, he's played enough in this league and has earned the right to know when he is going to be able to return. And it's not return to play. It's return to performance. Anyone can get back out there, but if they don't feel like they can perform at the level that they're capable of, why put him out there? Particularly a vet like him who's done it at such a high clip for so many years. So, I know he's eager to get back in due time. I think we'll see him."

Tyler Allgeier also figures to play a role in the backfield; he signed with the Cardinals in free agency before they drafted Love. Initially, Allgeier appeared set for a co-lead role with Conner. But with Love around, he'll be a solid backup, like he was to Bijan Robinson in Atlanta in the first four seasons of his career, including a 1,000-yard season as a rookie.

Trey Benson has taken starting reps for the Cardinals previously, but is log-jammed at the position in 2026 and has been dealing with a "flare-up in his surgically repaired left knee" this offseason.