Immediately after the Arizona Cardinals’ preseason win over the Las Vegas Raiders, head coach Mike LaFleur played down the severity of Jeremiyah Love’s ankle injury, which he sustained on the third-to-last snap before halftime.
Love, LaFleur said, could have returned to the game if needed. It did not seem like a significant concern.
But on Saturday, Aug. 15, LaFleur announced that Love will not practice this week, nor will he play in the Cardinals’ preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, Aug. 22, at State Farm Stadium.
“He came in yesterday a little bit more sore than he left,” LaFleur said. “He was in great spirits, even yesterday. ... We'll keep him out this week as we let it heal. So a little bit more than we were anticipating.”
And perhaps most concerningly, LaFleur did not commit to Love being available when the Cardinals open the regular season at the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 13.
“Honestly, all I'm focusing on is Aug. 15, Saturday, here we are in our Tempe block,” LaFleur said. “And then we'll re-evaluate and go into the next week. He will be out this week, though.”
The news comes on the back of a tantalizing preseason debut for Love, who finished with 11 carries for 58 yards and three catches for 14 yards, as he showed the traits that made him the No. 3 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft.
In the aftermath of Love's injury, LaFleur has drawn criticism for Love's heavy workload, as he played 27 snaps — more than any other Cardinals starter. LaFleur, though, has repeatedly stated the importance of preseason reps for running backs, given how difficult it is to replicate game speed at the position in practice, when there is no tackling.
That is especially true for Love, who has been working this summer on being more decisive in his reads as he acclimates to the NFL. And the only way to adjust to the speed of the NFL is by seeing it in action.
If Love were to miss any time, the Cardinals would turn to Tyler Allgeier as their lead running back.
They also have James Conner, who has not yet participated in 11-on-11 drills this summer as he returns from a severe ankle injury suffered last September. Conner has participated in individual drills throughout training camp, though, and appears likely to be ready for the start of the regular season.
Further down the depth chart, Bam Knight currently profiles as the fourth running back, as Trey Benson remains out due to a “flare up” of his surgically-repaired left knee, as LaFleur described it two weeks ago.
LaFleur said Saturday that Benson is “doing better” and “progressing” but was not able to give a timeline on his return to practice.
Other key Arizona Cardinals updates
- LaFleur confirmed that second-round rookie guard Chase Bisontis will undergo surgery for a torn MCL. “He'll be out for a good amount of time, if not the whole year,” LaFleur said. “So yeah, it sucks for him.” Bisontis had been set to begin the season as depth at guard, a role that will now be filled by Jon Gaines and Hayden Conner.
- Tight end Elijah Higgins missed Thursday's game with a concussion but has cleared protocol and should be back “shortly.”
- LaFleur did not have much of an update on edge rusher Josh Sweat, but he left the door open for Sweat to possibly return from PUP this week. “We'll see,” LaFleur said. “I have zero worries about Josh Sweat, again.”
- Kicker Chad Ryland missed a 33-yard chip shot field goal against the Raiders, but LaFleur said that there is “no competition” for that job at the moment. The Cardinals do not currently have another kicker on the roster after releasing Joshua Karty in June. “But like we'll do with every single spot, we're always gonna look to try to upgrade the team,” LaFleur said. “You name the position, we'll always be doing that.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals get concerning update on Jeremiyah Love injury