The Arizona Cardinals are scrambling to find answers in many different departments.
This comes in light of Paris Johnson Jr. suffering a crushing season-ending injury in Sunday’s loss to the New York Giants.
It also involves star rookie Jeremiyah Love, who sat out the entirety of Arizona’s final drive. This cast doubt on his ability to play this Sunday, however there seems to be hope that the 21-year-old does suit up.
Read more on what head coach Mike LaFleur had to say in his Wednesday press conference below.
Cardinals’ LaFleur Gives Encouraging Update on Love’s Status
The Notre Dame product made sparse appearances in the second half of the Giants game, with a tweak of the ankle being the culprit.
Good news that comes with this concerning development is that the ankle is the opposite one of the previously injured one. The sprain doesn’t seem to be impacting Love currently, but both ankles are now important subjects of monitoring.
LaFleur did a strong job of providing clarity on the status of his star running back on Tuesday (Darren Urban).
The ankle issue “shouldn’t impact (the game), but the best I can tell you guys is maintenance. Maintenance throughout the day, and you get to Sunday.”
It seems as if Love will be able to give it a go on Oct. 10 against the Detroit Lions. This is a crucial development for a Cardinals team already gripping with multiple major injury losses. It also gives the top-five draft pick an opportunity to feast on a porous Lions’ defense.
Arizona’s Running Back Arrangement Still Subject of Conversation
With Love’s status trending in the right direction for the Cardinals so comes the snap share debate.
Backup running back Tyler Allgeier held a 36-30 snap count advantage in week four. Whether this was the result of Love’s ankle flare-up or not is up for debate, but deeper conversations arise beyond this.
It sure appears at the surface that the Cardinals‘ coaching staff wants to maximize Love’s talent in the least amount of reps possible. The star running back only took 433 carries across three seasons at Notre Dame, rendering him far from the typical “workhorse” label.
However, 36 touchdowns, a 6.7 yards per carry average, and 36 rushing touchdowns point to an elite player. Arizona’s coaches must figure out how to balance the dynamic playmaking with preventing a physical breakdown over the season.
Fans might not agree with this approach, but it’s likely the correct one. The long-term preservation of Love is just as – if not more – important than the escapades of the 2026 team. Arizona simply put too much investment into Love to ignore his physical well-being right off the bat.
Only time will tell how the season progresses for the standout, but an Offensive Rookie of the Year nod seems attainable.
In the meantime, Detroit presents an opportunity for Love to earn a signature performance on Sunday. The Lions rank 21st in run yards per game allowed heading into week five.
Cardinals Head Coach Gives Encouraging Update on Jeremiyah Love’s Injury Scare