GLENDALE - A viral line about Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett has been making the rounds, but the full picture is a lot less dramatic than the clipped version that spread online.
The quote at the center of it all came from Hackett on Love’s progression: “I mean, he’s definitely a rookie.”
On its own, that sounds like a coolly dismissive assessment of the No. 3 overall pick. But Hackett has made a habit of talking about young players in broader terms, and that context changes the tone quite a bit.
Back in June, when discussing Carson Beck, he said, “He is a rookie, and rookies - they're difficult at times. They come from a different system, a different world, a different speed.”
Hackett, in his first year in Arizona, has also tended to speak about position groups as a whole rather than singling out one player in a press conference setting. So the quote about Love fits a pattern more than it signals some major shift in how the Cardinals feel about him.
And the reality on the field hasn’t changed either. Love has continued to draw strong reviews since arriving in late April, and that hasn’t stopped in training camp.
He has earned multiple first-team reps during p. That points to a real role in Arizona’s offense, and by the end of the season, that role could be a significant one.
Still, the Cardinals were never planning to ride one back like a bellcow. No matter how much Love flashes, Tyler Allgeier and James Conner are still expected to get their touches.
There’s also a bigger point here about who is actually steering the offense. Hackett’s role in the desert has been blown up more than it should be.
The Cardinals’ play-caller will be head coach Mike LaFleur, who is also set to handle most of the scheming. Hackett matters, sure, but the operation is clearly being run elsewhere.
So the viral quote says more about how quickly a chopped-up line can travel than it does about Love’s standing in Arizona.
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