Jeremiyah Love looked as advertised and then some in his preseason debut. He didn't emerge from it healthy. The No. 3 overall pick suffered a high ankle sprain on his final touch of the night and is unlikely to play again this preseason, leaving the Cardinals hopeful he can return for a Week 1 contest against the Chargers on Sept. 13, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Here's a look at the injury, which came late in the second quarter: the more you watch the tackle, the worse it lookswith Jeremiyah Love's feet getting pinned https://t.co/HL11rW87y5 pic.twitter.com/FiYepEXS6c After the game, first-year coach Mike LaFleur said Love "could have returned" and expected him to return in time to practice this week. But on Saturday, two days after the game, LaFleur said Love would not practice this week or play in Week 2 of the preseason against the Cowboys, per AZ Central's Theo Mackie. In fact, LaFleur did not commit to the former Notre Dame star even being available for Week 1 of the regular season, which is still nearly a month away.
"He came in yesterday a little bit more sore than he left," 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." When he was playing, Love looked terrific, amassing 72 yards from scrimmage on 14 touches. His explosiveness and agility jumped off the screen. Every Touch From Jeremiyah Love’s NFL Debut.11 CAR, 3 REC, 73 Total YDS. https://t.co/ymmjgrZ4El pic.twitter.com/lSs48WuhFY The Cardinals signed Tyler Allgeier this offseason, and he has been the clear-cut top backup to Love.
Arizona still has veteran James Conner and 2024 third-rounder Trey Benson, as well as journeyman Bam Knight and several others. Both Conner (returning from a severe foot/ankle injury) and Benson (knee "flare-up") have been dealing with injuries in the preseason. Love started and played until there were just seconds left before halftime.
Love's 14 touches were by far the most of any rookie drafted in the first four rounds. His 23 offensive snaps were second-most of any first-round rookie skill position player, only Browns wide receiver KC Concepcion (24). After the game, LaFleur said he had planned before the game to get Love double-digit touches and concluded with "I like where he was at with the touches." One day later, of course, LaFleur learned Love's prognosis wasn't as promising as it seemed and then explained why, in his mind, it was important for Love to explain so much.
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