Jeremiyah Love has spent the last month racing toward one date.
He may have made it.
The Arizona Cardinals officially list their prized rookie running back as questionable for Sunday’s Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, but all signs are increasingly pointing toward Love making his regular-season debut. Love practiced on a limited basis throughout the week as he continued working back from the high-ankle sprain he suffered during the preseason.
Head coach Mike LaFleur said Love has been “trending well,” while the rookie has made it clear that he wants to play even if the ankle isn’t completely back to normal.
For a Cardinals offense built around a new coaching staff and several young pieces, getting Love onto the field would be a significant boost.
What Happened to Jeremiyah Love?
Love injured his ankle during Arizona’s Aug. 13 preseason victory over Las Vegas.
He had already demonstrated exactly why the Cardinals used the No. 3 overall pick on him, rushing 11 times for 58 yards and adding three receptions for 14 yards before leaving with the injury.
The diagnosis was a high-ankle sprain, an injury that effectively ended his preseason and immediately placed his Week 1 availability in question.
Arizona took a cautious approach.
Love remained out for more than three weeks before gradually returning to football activity ahead of the opener.
Now the conversation has shifted from whether he has a chance to play to how much Arizona will actually use him.
Is Jeremiyah Love Playing Week 1?
There is still no guarantee.
The questionable designation leaves Arizona until game day to make the final decision.
But the outlook is positive.
Love has participated in practice, moved through cutting drills and continued increasing his workload without a reported setback. LaFleur has repeatedly expressed optimism about his progress.
Love has been even less cautious when discussing his availability.
He told reporters that he is prepared to play whether the ankle feels 100 percent or something considerably less than that, saying he will do whatever the coaching staff asks of him.
That mentality isn’t surprising.
It also won’t make the decision.
Arizona’s medical staff and coaches will determine whether Love can handle the workload without significantly increasing his risk of aggravating the injury.
Don’t Expect 25 Carries Immediately
Even if Love is active, fantasy managers and Cardinals fans should probably temper expectations.
Arizona has Tyler Allgeier available, and the veteran has been listed ahead of Love on the team’s initial unofficial depth chart. That positioning may have more to do with Love’s interrupted preparation than the Cardinals’ long-term plans for the backfield.
LaFleur has also made clear that Arizona intends to use multiple running backs.
That approach makes even more sense Sunday.
If Love is returning from a high-ankle sprain, there is little reason to give him an enormous workload in his first NFL regular-season game.
Instead, expect Arizona to pick its spots.
Get Love into space.
Give him opportunities as a receiver.
Use his acceleration when the defense begins tiring.
Let Allgeier absorb some of the more physical early-down work.
The goal should not be proving Love can handle 25 touches in Week 1.
It should be getting through Week 1 healthy enough to gradually become the offensive centerpiece Arizona drafted him to be.
Why Arizona Invested So Heavily in Love
Running backs rarely get selected this high anymore.
Arizona didn’t care.
The Cardinals selected Love third overall after a spectacular final season at Notre Dame in which he rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns, added nine receiving scores and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back.
Arizona viewed him as something more than a traditional runner.
Love’s explosiveness gives LaFleur another player who can change an offensive possession without needing perfect blocking.
He can run between the tackles.
He can catch the football.
And once he reaches the second level, he possesses legitimate home-run ability.
The Cardinals didn’t use the No. 3 pick simply because they needed a running back.
They used it because they believed Love could become one of the defining players in the offense.
Sunday could provide the first look.
The Chargers Present a Serious Test
Los Angeles isn’t an ideal opponent for a rookie returning from an ankle injury.
The Chargers still feature Khalil Mack, while edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu is questionable with a hip injury. Tuipulotu was limited throughout the practice week, while Mack has been cleared after appearing on the report for rest.
Arizona therefore needs more than explosiveness from its running backs.
Protection matters.
Recognizing pressure matters.
Picking up blitzers matters.
Those responsibilities can occasionally determine whether a rookie stays on the field more than his ability to carry the football.
Love will have to prove he’s ready for all of it.
I expect Jeremiyah Love to play.
I don’t expect Arizona to treat him like a fully healthy workhorse.
Those things can both be true.
The Cardinals have an entire season invested in developing Love into one of their foundational offensive players. They gain very little by forcing 20-plus touches onto a recovering ankle simply because Week 1 has arrived.
But Love is clearly close.
His practice participation has improved.
The coaching staff is optimistic.
And Love himself appears desperate to get onto an NFL field.
If he’s active, the most interesting moment may not be his first carry.
It will be the first time LaFleur gets Love isolated in space and we see whether that explosive Notre Dame version has made the trip to the NFL.
Arizona waited all summer to unveil its No. 3 pick.
Barring a late setback, that wait appears likely to end Sunday.
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