Jeremiyah Love hasn’t taken long to settle in with the Arizona Cardinals.
The rookie running back says the desert heat hasn’t been much of an issue during training camp. “The heat's been cool. I like heat overall, so it really doesn't bother me anymore unless it gets up to like 120, which it hasn't yet,” Love said this week.
The bigger challenge waiting for him isn’t the weather. It’s the pressure that comes with being the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, especially with a $53 million guaranteed contract already in hand before his first official game.
Arizona didn’t spend that kind of capital on a one-dimensional back. Love arrives as a Notre Dame standout whose value comes from both the run and pass game, and the Cardinals are treating him like the offensive weapon they believe he can become.
So far, the transition has looked smooth. Love said life away from football has been simple since leaving school.
"It's been easy for me, honestly. I don't got school no more, so after practice, watch your tape, get recovery, video games.
That's pretty much it. I ain't got schoolwork to do anymore, so it's been pretty smooth for me," said Love.
"I got a crib now, so I'm living the dream. It's a blessing to be in the NFL.
I always wanted to get here, and I'm here, and I'm enjoying every step or every moment of it. It's been great."
On the field, he’s already showing why Arizona was willing to bet so big. Love has stood out in camp practices, including the ones tilted more toward the passing game, with his route-running and burst through the hole popping early. He’s also been working with the first-team offense, even if the initial depth chart lists him behind Tyler Allgeier.
Love knows the NFL is a different speed than college, and he’s already talking like a rookie trying to catch up fast.
"Moving from college to the NFL, there's a big shift in the guys that you play. Guys are a lot smarter.
People move a lot faster. People play with velocity," Love said.
"So that's been a big just difference from college, and I'm making sure I'm processing everything really, really fast, and just trying to get to the level where I know the game just as good or better than the defense."
He hasn’t backed away from the spotlight, either. Love was firm about wanting to play in next week’s Hall of Fame Game, even though stars and starters usually sit that one out. Through camp, he’s kept taking advantage of every chance he gets.
The Cardinals are not asking him to carry the whole offense by himself, and nobody is handing him the title of best running back in the league. But the reviews have been strong from coaches and teammates, and Arizona appears ready to use him as part of a running back group that can lean on his versatility.
"As a rookie, a guy that's just coming into the NFL, I got to get a flow for how fast guys plays, how fast guys pick up on things. That's just the thing that I gotta get better at, which I am," said Love.
"Every day in practice I'm getting better. Making better reads.
Making better you know plays. It's just like college.
I mean, it's football at the end of the day. Like, like I said, it's just the flow of the game that's different.
Guys play faster, but I still go out there and run my routes fast. I still go out there and make plays."
In Other News...
Cardinals Backup QB Battle Could Get Complicated Faster Than Expected
Jacoby Brissett is set to open as the Cardinals quarterback through 2026, which gives Arizona a clear top of the depth chart for now. Behind him, though, the backup picture is already worth watching. Gardner Minshew currently sits in that spot, with rookie Carson Beck lined up behind him, giving the team a mix of experience and upside as it sorts through its long-term plans at the position.
The bigger question comes after the season, when the Cardinals will have to decide how Beck fits into the picture going forward. His future role is still tied to how he develops and how much playing time he can get, and that makes the backup battle more than just a routine training-camp storyline. If Beck starts closing the gap, Arizona could be staring at a much more complicated quarterback conversation sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Sweat's Recovery Keeps Pressure On Cardinals Pass Rush Plans
Josh Sweat is still on the Cardinals active/Physically Unable to Perform list as training camp rolls on, leaving Arizona to manage one of its more important pass-rush situations with patience. Head coach Mike LaFleur said Sweat is continuing to build, and the team has been careful not to force the issue while he works through his recovery.
The Cardinals can still activate Sweat before final roster cuts, but for now the focus is on keeping the long view intact rather than pushing for an early return. In a camp where every snap matters, that leaves Arizona balancing the need for edge pressure with the broader plan for Sweats health and readiness when he does get back. [Read more 🡒]
Larry Fitzgerald Finally Gets His Moment On Footballs Biggest Stage
Larry Fitzgerald is finally headed to Canton, a fitting stop for one of the most respected players of his generation and one of the most accomplished figures in Cardinals history. He will join Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Ohio, with Fitzgerald and Brees going in on the first ballot and Craig earning his place through the senior committee.
For Arizona fans, Fitzgeralds selection feels like a long-awaited celebration of a career built on production, durability and dignity. The Class of 2026 also carried some notable omissions, with coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft not making the cut, but the spotlight in Canton will still belong to a receiver whose legacy has been obvious for years even before the Hall of Fame made it official. [Read more 🡒]