Jeremiyah Love, this year’s No. 3 overall pick and an Arizona Cardinals running back already playing on a deal with more guaranteed money than any player at his position had ever received, is expected to make his regular-season debut Sunday on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers, according to a Friday report from ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss.
That report hasn’t necessarily been confirmed by Mike LaFleur, but the first-year Cardinals head coach told reporters later in the day that Love is “trending well” for the Week 1 contest at SoFi Stadium.
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His official designation is “questionable,” per the Cardinals’ injury report.
The Notre Dame product has been dealing with a high-ankle sprain that he picked up during an electrifying preseason debut against the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 13.
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The injury forced him to miss three weeks of practice. It also reopened the everlasting dialogue about preseason playing time, as it occurred during an exhibition in which Love piled up 14 touches, including 11 carries.
He put on spectacle, spinning and hurdling past defenders while accumulating 72 scrimmage yards, but at an unfortunate cost.
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The 21-year-old Love is coming off a prolific run at Notre Dame, where he logged 19 and 21 total touchdowns his final two seasons, respectively. During the 2025 campaign, he rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 scores en route to being named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
Love’s Fighting Irish teammate, and backfield partner, Jadarian Price made his regular-season NFL debut Wednesday, helping the Seattle Seahawks defeat the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl LX rematch. Price finished with 52 yards on the ground after mounting 10 totes.
Remember, Notre Dame is the first school to deliver the first two running backs taken in a single draft since the NFL-AFL merger in 1966. Price went off the board 32nd overall to the reigning Super Bowl champions, who were looking to replace at least some of the production lost by new Kansas City Chiefs back Kenneth Walker III.
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But Love, the bigger star of the two, has understandably commanded more attention in NFL and fantasy football circles.
He was listed as a limited practice participant on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, Love noted that his ankle is “getting better every day,” per ESPN.
“I’ve always been trying to just do more than what they want me to do,” Love said, via ESPN. “When I first injured it, they wanted to put me in a boot, and I’m like, ‘Nah, I just want to walk around. I want to feel it out and do my own thing.’ But them being trainers, they know what’s best.
“So I kind of push myself all the time. So throughout this whole process of dealing with this high ankle, I’ve always just been pushing myself, getting extra work and just trying to do the right things.”
