Overview
- Jeremiyah Love told reporters he expects to play in Week 1 and will go out even if his ankle is at “100 percent, 50 percent, 70 percent,” signaling he intends to make his regular-season debut.
- Love has a high-ankle sprain suffered in the preseason on Aug. 13 and has been a limited participant on consecutive Cardinals injury reports as he follows a 4-to-6-week recovery timeline.
- LaFleur said there is “no limit on our end” to Love’s participation and has signaled an eased-in role that increases the probability Love will be active versus the Chargers.
- With James Conner on injured reserve the Cardinals kept short depth at running back, putting pressure on Tyler Allgeier to handle early-down work while Love is expected to be featured more on passing downs.
- The situation renews scrutiny of rookie preseason workloads and makes snap counts the key thing to watch this season because they will reveal how Arizona balances Love’s short-term availability with his long-term health.