Cardinals' Jeremiyah Love Gets Promising Injury Update Before Week 1

The Arizona Cardinals are optimistic on their star rookie.

Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love (4) practices during training camp at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on July 26, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

ARIZONA — The Arizona Cardinals are officially in a game week, and all eyes are on running back Jeremiyah Love.

The third overall pick suffered a reported high ankle sprain during preseason action against the Las Vegas Raiders and hasn't practiced or played in a preseason game since.

Now, as the Cardinals gear up for their season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, head coach Mike LaFleur appears to be optimistic regarding Love's chances of playing this week.

What Mike LaFleur Said on Jeremiyah Love Injury

"Progressing. He was out there moving around today. So we'll see on Wednesday, I'll have a better idea for all those guys that I know you guys are going to ask about on Wednesday," LaFleur told reporters.

When specifically asked if he was optimistic on Love playing, LaFleur said, "Yeah, I feel good."

Love was injured on his final of 14 touches against the Raiders, which included a few highlight plays before exiting action. The Cardinals were fairly positive on Love's injury being minor, though the next few days produced some larger concerns. Love missed the last two preseason games and has been sidelined since.

How Jeremiyah Love Can Impact Cardinals Offense

Love's ability as both a runner and receiver can elevate the Cardinals' offense to new levels, and the small taste we got of Arizona's new weapon in Vegas was extremely exciting.

Love displayed everything that made him great as a Heisman finalist at Notre Dame: Instincts, balance, speed and power all seemingly carried over to the NFL level — at least through camp practice and the one half of preseason action.

When fully healthy, Love can be a vital part of the team's offense for 2026 and beyond.

We'll get our first injury report for this week on Wednesday, where it's very likely Love will be labeled either as a non-participant or limited due to his ankle injury.

With the Cardinals playing things safe on the conservative side of injuries — it wouldn't be a surprise to see Love made a game-time decision in Los Angeles.