As the NFC West piles up headline names through free agency, the draft, trades and even, in the Rams’ case, unretirement, the Cardinals are taking a slower, more deliberate path under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur. That doesn’t mean they’re fading into the background.
Arizona may still be staring at a fourth-place finish in what looks like the league’s toughest division, barring injury, but there’s still plenty here for fans to track. And on NFL Live, ESPN draft analyst Field Yates zeroed in on one rookie above the rest: Jeremiah Love.
Yates put the former Notre Dame running back at the top of his list of five rookies to watch in 2026, and he made it clear why he thinks Love can change the feel of this offense.
“Jeremiah Love, no surprise here, right? Like if you're taking a running back, third overall, he better be an instant impact player,” Yates said.
“Now, perhaps you could say the fact that he's uncertain for week one takes a bit of the shine off. He's going to play early on in the season, and he has the premier rushing skills, the elite pass game skills as well.
This guy should be the best player on the Cardinals’ offense along with Trey McBride.”
That’s a big statement, but it lands because of what Arizona already has around him. The Cardinals don’t have a franchise quarterback in place right now, but they do have Trey McBride, who is widely viewed as the best tight end in the NFL. If Love meets that standard on offense and Marvin Harrison Jr. develops into a true WR1, Arizona could be in strong shape for the future regardless of who’s throwing the passes.
In Other News...
Cardinals Fans Have Seen Where Greg Dortch Still Carries Real Value
Greg Dortchs next stop is taking him back to where his football journey began, with the veteran wide receiver and punt return specialist signing with the Buffalo Bills practice squad in the city where he was born. After being released by the Detroit Lions during final roster cuts, Dortch now lands in a place that also gives him a familiar face on the coaching staff and a chance to carve out a role with a team looking for answers in the return game.
For Cardinals fans, it is another reminder of why Dortch kept showing up as a useful piece in Arizona over five seasons. He never had to be a headline act to matter, and his value often came in the margins, where dependable return work and roster flexibility can swing a week. Buffalo is betting that same versatility can help solve an immediate special teams need, and if it works, it will only reinforce what Cardinals followers already know about how useful he can be. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Quietly Addressed A Depth Concern Fans Should Notice
The Cardinals kept working the margins of the roster with a pair of practice squad additions, bringing in defensive lineman Jared Harrison-Hunte and offensive lineman Vershon Lee. It is the kind of move that does not make headlines outside the building, but it does speak to how teams quietly patch holes and keep bodies in place as the season grinds on.
Harrison-Hunte has already spent time with Carolina after a college career that took him from Miami to SMU, while Lee arrives after a stint with Minnesota following his years at South Carolina. For Arizona, the appeal is straightforward: add developmental depth, give the coaching staff more options, and make sure the next injury or workload spike does not leave the room thin in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Roster Cuts Squeezed Out Some Veterans Fans Expected To Stay
The Cardinals first 53-man roster of the 2026 season reflected how competitive camp had been from top to bottom, with every healthy rookie surviving the cut and a handful of expected veterans left on the outside. Arizona also leaned into some deeper position battles, carrying an unusually high number of wide receivers and safeties as it sorted out the back end of the roster.
For a team trying to balance proven names against younger, cheaper options, the decisions were especially noticeable at linebacker and in the secondary. Azeez Ojulari and Marcus Murphy-Bunting were among the veterans released, while Keaontay Ingram and sixth-round rookie inside linebacker Sharar made the initial team, underscoring how much the Cardinals valued preseason performance and roster flexibility. [Read more 🡒]