The Arizona Cardinals will carry three running backs on their initial 53-man roster. That in itself could be interpreted as a good sign for Jeremiyah Love’s availability for their Week 1 contest against the Los Angeles Chargers.
“I’m confident that he’s progressing well,” Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur told PHNX’s Bo Brack. “He’s taking another step, took another step yesterday, he’ll take another step today.”
He’ll “take another step today” in his efforts to return for Week 1.
Love is dealing with a high ankle sprain, suffered in their preseason win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He’s been out of practices and doing individual work the last two weeks. But it’s worth noting he traveled to Green Bay with the rest of the team last week.
Even with that in mind, he’s likely questionable for their game against the Chargers. A high ankle sprain is a 4-6 week recovery. A Week 1 return is near the front end of that window.
Given Love’s upside in both the run and pass game, he adds an X-factor element to the offense. That makes it difficult for opposing teams to match up against him, personnel-wise, compared to other backs on the roster.
What the Latest Jeremiyah Love Update Means for the Cardinals
There are still two weeks left until the regular season begins. There won’t be much reporting on Jeremiyah Love’s injury until the team releases injury reports next week. That should give a better idea of how much Love is practicing.
The Cardinals have just Love, Tyler Allgeier, and Bam Knight on their active roster at the position. James Conner was recently placed on injured reserve to buy himself more time to recover from foot surgery.
Head coach Mike LaFleur told Arizona Sports’ Tyler Drake that Conner was “not far off” from avoiding IR. LaFleur cited the move as being in “the best interest of the player and organization” to give the veteran back more time.
Conner is first eligible to return from injured reserve ahead of their Week 5 showdown against the Detroit Lions. He’ll have a 21-day window to be activated once he starts practicing. That could come as early as the first practice after the Chargers game.
Evan Hull successfully cleared waivers and signed to the team’s practice squad. He could be a possible elevation for the Cardinals’ Week 1 game, as an insurance policy in case Love can’t go.
The 53-man roster and practice squad are constantly changing throughout the season. The 53 players on the roster might not be the same 53 the Cardinals take into their first regular-season game.
For Love and the Cardinals, they’ll have to take his recovery with each passing day. His availability against the Chargers will become clearer as that game gets closer.
Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur Issues Jeremiyah Love Update After Cutdowns