The Arizona Cardinals are heading into another stretch without Jeremiyah Love, and this one comes with more noise around the rookie than just the injury report.
Arizona placed Love on injured reserve Tuesday after he suffered a right high ankle sprain, a setback that is expected to keep him out at least four games. The injury came during Sunday’s 33-30 overtime win over the Dallas Cowboys, when Love’s leg was trapped under a tackle in the first quarter. He never returned, and his day ended with nine carries for 23 yards.
That latest blow also sparked fresh criticism from Emmanuel Acho, who questioned whether Love is ready for the NFL after another injury interruption.
"He's on bust alert for sure," Acho said. "Not a bust yet. He is on bust alert because anytime you draft a running back that high, it instantly pushes the bust alert button, because you are already overdrafting based on that position."
Love entered the league with plenty of pressure attached to his name. The Cardinals made him the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, and his first season has already been chopped up by ankle issues.
He sprained his right ankle in his preseason debut against the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 13, then was cleared for Week 1. A second sprain, this time to the left ankle, followed in Week 2.
He played through that injury for four weeks before Arizona shut him down for two games, and now the right ankle has become the problem again.
The production has been uneven, though not empty. In six games, Love has 268 rushing yards and a touchdown on 76 carries, good for about 3.5 yards per attempt.
He has also added 11 catches for 36 yards and a receiving score. The biggest chunk of that output came in one game: 21 carries for 90 yards in a Week 3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
His absence reshapes Arizona’s backfield for the near future. Tyler Allgeier is set to handle the lead role after piling up 191 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in the comeback win over Dallas. James Conner remains on injured reserve with a foot injury and could be back during Love’s absence, while Bam Knight’s concussion protocol leaves Evan Hull and practice-squad back Jerome Ford as the other Week 9 options.
As for Love’s return, the timeline points beyond the immediate future. He misses Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks and cannot be activated before Week 13, which opens the door to the Dec. 6 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Rapoport’s four- to five-week estimate fits that window, though Arizona has a bye in Week 14. Sporting News, Pro Football Rumors and the Arizona Republic all view a Week 15 return against the New York Jets as the more likely landing spot than a one-game stop against Philadelphia.
In Other News...
Seahawks Week 9 Outlook Just Got Tougher Before Kickoff
The buildup to Sundays game in Seattle took another turn when both the Cardinals and Seahawks released injury reports that underscored how thin the margin could be in Week 9. Arizona is preparing to move forward with Gardner Minshew at quarterback after trading Jacoby Brissett, while Seattle will be without Sam Darnold and turn to Drew Lock instead. With both teams managing health issues on the eve of kickoff, the final roster decisions could matter as much as the matchup itself.
Arizonas report also included some notable names on rest days, while Walter Nolen was back at practice, giving the Cardinals a clearer picture of who might be available when they get to game day. The Seahawks, meanwhile, are dealing with their own quarterback uncertainty and will have to piece together a plan around Lock as they try to hold serve at home. Before the teams finalize everything for Sunday, the injury list has already made this one feel a little more complicated than it did a day ago. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Win Is Hitting Cowboys Fans Even Harder Now
The Cowboys loss to the Cardinals has only deepened the unease around a season that already feels like it is slipping away. At 3-5, Dallas is trying to steady itself after another damaging defeat, and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams has been leaning on the same message in the aftermath: the defense has to execute better, starting with the next chance against the Indianapolis Colts.
Not everyone is hearing that message as a reset. Skip Bayless took aim at the Cowboys performance and Williams repeated use of the word execute in an interview, turning the postgame discussion into another round of criticism for a team that keeps finding new ways to invite it. For Arizona, the win is already in the books, but for Dallas, the fallout is still growing. [Read more 🡒]
Trey McBride Is Taking Cardinals Tight End History Somewhere Jackie Smith Never Could
Jackie Smith helped define what a modern tight end could be after the St. Louis Cardinals drafted him in 1963, and his 15-season NFL career still stands as part of the franchise's long memory at the position. But the Cardinals have now moved into a different era with Trey McBride, whose rise has given the team a new benchmark at tight end and put his name alongside the most productive pass-catchers at the spot in league history.
McBride has already pushed past previous team standards and given Arizona something it had never really had before at tight end: sustained, top-tier volume year after year. The bigger significance is not just the record book entry, but how far he has carried the position for this franchise, with his latest run leaving the Cardinals with a new history to measure against and one more milestone still hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]