Jeremiyah Love expected to play in Week 1 but questions remain about his workload

The Cardinals expect their first-round running back to play against the Chargers, but there are still questions to answer

Sep 11, 2026 at 12:00 pm ET • 1 min read

Concern remains when it comes to No. 4 overall pick Jeremiyah Love and how healthy he is heading into the Arizona Cardinals' season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. However, the expectation is that Love will play in Week 1, according to ESPN.

The first running back selected in this year's draft suffered a high-ankle sprain in Arizona's preseason debut Aug. 13 against the Las Vegas Raiders. He spent time sidelined with the injury, and was listed as a limited participant in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday this week. However, the Cardinals have reportedly come to a conclusion about his status for Sunday.

Love still has to get through another practice session, and it remains to be seen how "healthy" he truly is. It's fair to wonder about his usage given the ankle sprain and the fact that Tyler Allgeier is listed as "first string" on the depth chart, but the former Notre Dame star is expected to make his NFL debut this weekend.

While he played in just one preseason game, Love looked rather electric. He rushed 11 times for 58 yards and caught three passes for 14 yards before exiting the matchup. Initially, the Cardinals thought he escaped without injury, but their first-round pick wasn't feeling 100% the next day. 

"He came in yesterday a little bit more sore than he left," Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur said. "He was in great spirits, even yesterday. ... We'll keep him out this week as we let it heal. So a little bit more than we were anticipating."

The Cardinals are not expected to be one of the best teams in the NFL this season, but Love is still a favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Arizona hopes he can help establish the identity of this new offense as both a runner and a receiver. The Doak Walker Award Winner led the FBS in rushing touchdowns (35) and scrimmage touchdowns (40) over the past two seasons, and set a program record by racking up 3,014 yards from scrimmage over a two-year span. That warranted the Cardinals making Love the highest-paid running back in the NFL in guaranteed money, with $50.5 million coming his way on his rookie deal.

Love is expected to be on the field this Sunday, but could be on a pitch count.