Jeremiyah Love was drafted in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He was drafted with the third overall pick after an amazing college career with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The running back is considered one of the best players in his position.
Love will now begin his new career in the NFL with the Cardinals. He has revealed what he will do with his first contract.
Jeremiyah Love vows to save money from rookie contract
Love had a strong 2025 season for Notre Dame. He had rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns while also having 280 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, and won the Doak Walker Award, which is the prize for being the top running back in college football.
Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love
The Arizona Cardinals introduce their first-round draft pick running back Jeremiyah Love during a news conference at the Cardinals Dignity Health training facility on April 24, 2026, in Tempe, Ariz. © Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Love has signed a four-year deal worth approximately $53 million, all of which is fully guaranteed. It is the highest guaranteed amount ever for a running back, and very lucrative for the player. He will bag a massive $35 million signing bonus.
During a recent press conference, he was asked what he would do with the massive amount of money. In response, the rookie shared that he intends to save and invest the entirety of his NFL salary. He said that he will instead use the money he earned from his NIL deals and endorsements during his college career.
“I live in the era of NIL, so I’m pretty well off already. I really don’t need to touch that money, as of right now. I most definitely will not,” Love explained. “I’m going to make sure I put that money away for my kids, grandkids, stuff like that, so they can have a better life, financially, than I did growing up. That’s the plan. Plans can change, sometimes, but that’s the plan.”
The running back also talked about the impact of signing his new lucrative contract.
Jeremiyah Love won’t change his mindset despite “life-changing” contract
Love signed his contract on May 8, 2026. He will earn an average of $13.25 million per year. He is currently the seventh highest-paid running back in the league.
While he understands that the money he is earning is a lot, he is not going to let that limit his performance.
He said, “It’s very life-changing. That amount of money would change anybody’s life. For me, personally, it doesn’t change my mindset. Obviously, I’m only getting that much because, I’m the third pick in the draft. Every high pick is gonna get a lot of money. I still haven’t done anything at the end of the day. I’m coming into the league with a mindset. I’m ready to work, ready to earn the things that I’ve been given.”
The running back’s main focus remains on the gridiron.
“I’m here to play football. You get paid a lot to do it, but at the end of the day, I’ve still got to perform on the field. The money is there, which is a blessing. It’s a lot of money,” he added.
Jeremiyah Love will now focus on the 2026 NFL season for the Arizona Cardinals.