Jeremiyah Love’s Debut: Strong Showing, Minor Injury

Arizona Cardinals rookie running back Jeremiyah Love gave the team plenty to like in his preseason debut Thursday night against the Las Vegas Raiders — before exiting with a minor ankle injury.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft played a ton in Arizona’s 27-14 win, turning 11 carries into 58 rushing yards. Love added three catches for 14 yards, giving him 72 total yards on 14 touches in his first NFL action.

Love looked explosive, flashed the playmaking ability that made him one of the most polarizing prospects in this year’s draft, and gave Cardinals fans an early glimpse of why the organization made such a major investment at running back.

Still, the workload was notable. Arizona gave its new offensive centerpiece 14 touches in a preseason game after making him the highest-drafted running back since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 overall in 2018.

The positive news is that Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur did not sound overly concerned afterward. LaFleur said Love could have returned if Arizona needed him and expressed optimism that the rookie could get back to practice next week.

For now, the bigger story is the debut itself. Love showed he belongs, produced when given the football, and walked away with some highlight moments. The ankle issue is worth monitoring, but Arizona appears to have avoided a serious problem.

LaFleur also labeled offensive lineman Chase Bisontis' knee injury as "not good," according to Cards' beat writer Theo Mackie.

More updates on the injured Cardinals should arrive over the weekend. Arizona's next preseason game is set for Aug. 22 in Glendale against Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys.