The Arizona Cardinals are roughly 90 minutes away from opening up the 2026 season.
Arizona’s opening matchup is a challenging one, as the Los Angeles Chargers are a playoff team from 2025. Despite this, Arizona is hoping to leverage a talented offense into a competitive outing today.
One undeniable piece of the rising offense is rookie running back Jeremiyah Love. The Notre Dame product is coming off of an ankle injury suffered in preseason play, but hopes that he would return for week one have been alive for some time.
The final game status report gifted fans further confirmation of what was known, as well as singling out Love’s final designation. Follow the developments surrounding Love’s status below.
Where Does Love Stand in Cardinals’ Final Injury Report?
Love is officially making his Cardinals’ debut, as he is “active” for the game.
The third overall selection in April’s draft made a recovery in time to make the regular season debut. Not every player on the mend is as fortunate as Love.
Safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, cornerback Garrett Williams, and guard Isaiah Adams remain out. This is in light of all three previously being ruled out by head coach Mike LaFleur on Friday.
Love, 21, is a major reinforcement for a Cardinals’ offense that is largely whole (minus Adams), opening the door for a strong week one showing. The Cardinals are facing a definite challenge against a stout Chargers’ defense, but Love’s presence is a plus.
What to Expect From Love’s Role
One thing that is fairly unclear is the role that the rookie will carry in his first career regular season outing.
While the Cardinals’ blue-chip prospect is technically the second running back on the depth chart, he is still likely to receive a hefty workload.
The ultimate extent of the workload is unknown, although there are reasons to believe that double-digit touches are in the cards. While RB1 Tyler Allgeier is a quality back, he isn’t ideal to utilize in space in the same manner Love is. It’s a fair presumption to believe that Love will garner most first and second-down snaps.
Goal-line and short-yardage situations is where the conversation begins. Love has the ability to take physical carries. However, it isn’t the wisest idea to throw Love into these scenarios coming off of an injury. Allgeier is also more used to taking the most punishing reps as it is, making the trade-off a natural one.
Key Information Ahead of Cardinals’ SeasonDebut
- Arizona head coach LaFleur is making his debut on the sideline. This is an opportunity for the Cardinals’ coach to become the first win his franchise debut since 1973.
- Josh Sweat is making his return after missing much of the offseason. This is a major boost for an Arizona pass rush that needs a jolt of energy.
- Cardinals-Chargers is kicking off at 1:25 P.M. AZT. The broadcast is on CBS.
Jeremiyah Love’s Final Status Revealed Ahead of Cardinals’ Opener