Cardinals rookie RB Jeremiyah Love will miss at least a week after ankle injury

Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur updated reporters on Saturday about rookie running back Jeremiyah Love’s ankle injury, and the news is not what the team hoped for after the early setback. Love’s injury initially appeared to be something he could potentially work through quickly, but LaFleur said it has “turned out to be a bit more serious” than originally believed, keeping him out for an additional span of practice and games.

According to LaFleur, Love injured his ankle during the Cardinals’ work leading into the preseason and, at one point, there was a possibility he could return for the team’s preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders. That plan did not materialize, and the timeline has now shifted. LaFleur’s latest description is that Love’s ankle is “a little more sore,” a detail that suggests the team is proceeding with caution as it manages a young player’s workload through the final stages of camp and exhibition games.

The practical impact of the injury is clear. LaFleur said Love will miss at least the next week of work, and that absence is expected to keep him out of next Saturday’s preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys. For a rookie running back, even one missed week can compress the reps available in key, live-game situations that help determine how coaches plan their depth chart and play-calling packages.

Preseason usage matters for more than just the immediate evaluation of talent. Teams often use the early exhibitions to sort out role clarity in the run game and to determine which ball carriers can handle the variety of assignments that show up in vanilla and then more tailored playbooks. When a rookie misses that stretch, the coaching staff loses opportunities to test whether he can do the small things in real time, including ball security, protection responsibilities, and the ability to hit cuts decisively against live defenders.

LaFleur’s comments also underscore the uncertainty that comes with ankle injuries, especially when the issue is being tracked week-to-week rather than described in terms of a specific return date. Without additional public medical specifics, the key takeaway is that Arizona’s plans now include Love being sidelined through at least one additional preseason game, as the coaching staff waits for soreness to settle enough to resume normal practice.

For Cardinals fans and evaluators, the next period becomes a measuring stick. If Love’s soreness improves quickly, the missed week could be a detour rather than a longer storyline. If it lingers, Arizona may lean more heavily on other running backs to fill the developmental gap, which can influence how the team organizes carries, snaps, and third-down opportunities heading into the later preseason window and the final roster decisions.