Jeremiyah Love won’t be taking the field for the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7.
The rookie running back has been ruled out for Sunday’s matchup with the Denver Broncos as he continues to work back from a high-ankle sprain. It will be his second straight missed game, and the Cardinals are eyeing a Week 8 return against the Dallas Cowboys.
Arizona head coach Mike LaFleur made the decision official after Love was still trying to get right from the injury. The Cardinals now head into another game without one of their most heavily used backs.
Love has been a major piece of Arizona’s offense when healthy. He has been on the field for 49.6 percent of the team’s offensive snaps this season, running 67 times for 245 yards and a touchdown. He’s averaging 3.7 yards per carry, and he’s also contributed in the passing game with 11 catches on 14 targets and another score.
With Love sidelined, the Cardinals are expected to go with Zonovan "Bam" Knight and Tyler Allgeier again. Knight had the better Week 6 performance, while Allgeier has still been the more frequently used Arizona back overall this season, playing 50.8 percent of the team’s snaps. The split between the two will be worth watching now that Love is unavailable.
Knight’s recent work makes him the more appealing option in the Arizona backfield, at least from a betting angle. He ran 15 times for 80 yards in Week 6, while Allgeier finished with 18 carries for 38 yards and played only eight more snaps than Knight.
That matchup also lines up with a Denver run defense that has already shown cracks. Through six games, the Broncos have allowed 4.7 yards per carry and six rushing touchdowns. They’re still a top-10 defense overall, but they rank 28th in EPA/Rush, which gives Arizona a clear path if the Cardinals are going to find scoring chances on the ground Sunday.
Love, a top-three pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, should be back in a major role once the ankle injury is behind him. For now, though, the Cardinals will have to keep pushing forward without him.
In Other News...
Cardinals Forced Into A Defensive Change Before Broncos Game
The Cardinals Week 7 inactive list brought a few expected absences before facing the Broncos, but it also clarified how Arizona would piece together its defense and offensive line going into the matchup. Among the players unavailable were Jeremiyah Love, Jon Gaines, Andrew Wingard, Walter Nolen, Max Melton, Carson Beck and Albert Reese, leaving the team to shuffle both depth and starting roles on a day when availability mattered.
Budda Baker was active despite dealing with a groin injury, giving Arizona an important veteran presence in the secondary. On the other side of the ball, Hayden Conner was set to start at right guard, while Kei'Trel Clark was projected to line up at cornerback opposite Denzel Burke, a combination that shows how quickly the Cardinals have had to adapt their personnel before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Get A Huge Sunday Boost As Broncos Lose Key Starter
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Cardinals Suddenly Face A Josh Sweat Decision They Didn't Expect
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For a Cardinals club trying to steady its season, Sweat presents a tricky decision because a proven edge rusher is not the kind of player a team usually wants to lose in the middle of a scramble. Interest around the league is inevitable when a player of his caliber becomes available, and there has already been buzz about teams with a clear need off the edge, leaving Arizona to weigh its stance against whatever offers may surface. [Read more 🡒]