Cardinals' Jeremiyah Love Decision Wasn't the Mistake You Think

Jeremiyah Love is the talk of the town — which has been the case since he was made the third overall pick — though this week, there's a different buzz.

The Arizona Cardinals' running back made his preseason debut in Las Vegas, totaling 14 touches and a handful of highlight plays in the process.

It was an overall successful debut for Love, though that tide has quickly turned.

Love ultimately picked up an ankle injury on the final play, which was revealed by head coach Mike LaFleur in his post-game press conference. LaFleur insisted the Cardinals' top pick could have returned and the injury was minor.

That was Thursday night. Saturday morning when reporters met with LaFleur, the Cardinals' head coach revealed Love's ankle is, "a little more sore" and he would not be available against the Dallas Cowboys next weekend.

Yesterday, NFL insider Adam Schefter confirmed Love had a high ankle sprain and the Cardinals were "hopeful" for Love to be ready for their regular season opener.

That's a massive shift within just a few days, and now seemingly the entire internet is questioning why Arizona played Love.

Why Cardinals Weren't Wrong With Jeremiyah Love's Workload

Arizona Cardinals RB Jeremiyah Lov — Aug 13, 2026; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love (4) carries the ball against Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Taron Johnson (3) in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

The conversation around playing starters in the preseason will always be prevalent. The ultimate weighing of knocking rust off vs. injury risk is a decision football coaches have tried to perfect for decades. Every team operates differently, and there's no right or wrong answer.

The conversation shifts when it comes to a rookie who has never played a down of NFL football. It also takes another twist when it's a running back — a position that doesn't exactly get great looks in practice thanks to rules on hitting/tackling.

"It's a rookie that hadn't played," LaFleur said on Love's workload this past weekend.

"Not to share too many secrets because I haven't said it to the players yet, but knowing that it was about what it was going to be in terms of how many games these guys were going to play, for what we were looking for. So that's what the thought was."

Context and nuance is often needed when evaluating these scenarios. Yes, Love was hurt. The Cardinals' No. 3 overall pick will be sidelined for what could be weeks after being taken down wrong in a meaningless game.

That's reality, but often in life, things aren't always black and white. Such is the case here.

At this time last week, Arizona fans were starved of Love and were desperate to see the star running back play. Excitement filled the desert, which was only ramped up after an electric string of plays that showed precisely why he went so high in the draft.

That was very likely the only run Love was going to get in preseason — and if he did appear in either of the final two games, it would have been minimal. LaFleur's arrow points more towards the protective side of players, and with that in mind, those snaps Love took were quite meaningful.

This entire situation can be summed up in one word: unfortunate. Love was injured via a hip-drop tackle, which has been banned in the NFL for multiple seasons now. The Cardinals didn't purposefully put him in that circumstance, Love was the victim of a dangerous play — not workload.

Love was a rookie. He needed those reps. The decision to get Love extended run in what was likely his only preseason cameo is now seen in a much different light thanks to his injury. The result wasn't great, but the process and thinking behind Love's participation shouldn't be overblown.

Hindsight is always 20/20 in these scenarios. A lot of people seem to have their glasses on.

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