The Arizona Cardinals got great news concerning running back Jeremiyah Love’s Week 1 availability. ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss reports that Love is expected to play against the Los Angeles Chargers.
All signs were pointing toward Love playing in Week 1. Head coach Mike LaFleur said there would be no limits for the running back in practice this week. The rookie has been listed as “limited” on both practice reports for this week.
Love suffered a high ankle sprain in his only preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders on August 13. The prognosis was a recovery period of four to six weeks, putting Week 1 at the lower end of that.
The Cardinals running back spoke with the media on Thursday. While he acknowledged the decision is up to the coaching and training staff, he reiterated his desire to play.
Cardinals RB Jeremiyah Love to Make NFL Debut vs. Chargers
The Cardinals selected Jeremiyah Love No. 3 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. The idea is that he would add speed and receiving ability to the backfield.
The team lists Tyler Allgeier as the starter on the depth chart, but it’s going to be more of a split-backfield situation. Allgeier will serve as their primary early-down, between-the-tackles runner. Love can rotate in, especially on passing downs, where his receiving abilities will shine.
Since the Cardinals will be at full strength at their skill positions, that should allow Mike LaFleur to run his full offense. Love, in particular, should be a quality checkdown target and a matchup nightmare against linebackers and safeties in the open field.
How LaFleur uses his running backs will be evident in both the snap count and the number of touches Allgeier and Love get against the Chargers.
Other Cardinals Injuries Entering Week 1
While Jeremiyah Love’s injury situation is more or less accounted for, there are a couple of other Cardinals players to monitor.
Starting right guard Isaiah Adams is the most interesting situation. He’s battling a knee issue, which has sidelined him for both practices. If he misses Friday’s practice, the Cardinals will likely rule him out against the Chargers.
The team also faces a decision on whether to play starting slot corner, Garrett Williams. Williams has been listed as “limited” in both practices. He’s been progressing from an Achilles injury suffered late in the 2025 season.
Williams was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform list on August 20.
Safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson was a non-participant in Thursday’s practice. He’s been dealing with a rib injury that dates back to their preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys. He was limited on Wednesday.
The status of those three players should become clear after the Friday injury report.
Arizona Cardinals Get Great Jeremiyah Love News Ahead of Week 1 Chargers Clash