Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love (4) during rookie minicamp at Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Arizona Cardinals begin their 2026 season on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. Cardinals rookie running back Jeremiyah Love has been battling an injury. He is expected to play Sunday, per NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
Arizona is looking to post a winning season for the first time in a good while. The Cardinals drafted Love with the third overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.
A recent Arizona depth chart had listed Love as the team's no. 2 running back. He suffered an ankle sprain during the preseason.
“Love totaled 14 touches in Arizona's preseason battle against the Las Vegas Raiders last month, which saw him miss the Cardinals' last two exhibition games. The Cardinals initially believed Love's ankle injury was minor but eyebrows began to rise after he didn't practice for an extended period of time,” Sports Illustrated reported.
Here's everything we know about Love's status for the Cardinals Sunday.
Jeremiyah Love's injury status vs. Chargers
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Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love (4) during rookie mini-camp practice on May 8, 2026, at the Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center in Tempe.
Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Clearly Love will be playing on Sunday against the Chargers, unless something truly unexpected happens. Expectations are high for Love. He was a star in college at Notre Dame, where he won the Doak Walker Award for the 2025 season.
This summer he has been impressing his Cardinals coaches.
“I think he's done a really good job of taking the coaching points, whether it's from myself or from Mike [LaFleur] or even from the older guys, and just really taking it to the field understanding [it],” Cardinals running backs coach Matt Merritt said.
“Being grounded in the run game, being decisive in the run game at this level is so much more crucial because of how fast everybody is, how fast those holes open and close. I think the progression from that standpoint has gotten much better, and he's got a really good feel for that.”
Arizona finished the 2025 NFL season with a 3-14 record.