Jeremiyah Love had a decent performance during the Arizona Cardinals’ preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders. In 23 snaps, the rookie running back had 58 rushing yards on 11 carries and 14 yards from three catches.
But as ESPN host and former NFL punter Pat McAfee watched Love compete, he declared that the Notre Dame alum has the drive to become an exceptional player. His ferociousness, though, raised concerns regarding his long-term availability.
Pat McAfee Sounded the Alarm on Jeremiyah Love’s Playing Style
As McAfee said during the August 19 episode of his eponymous ESPN show, “As I was watching the highlights, the only thing I thought is, ‘Man, is this guy gonna be able to survive if he is gonna take some massive hits?’ There’s a couple of times where he avoids a 1-on-1 tackle and cuts into a 4-on-1 tackle just so he can prove that he can keep going.”
Love’s physicality during their preseason game against the Raiders led to a high ankle injury.
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As ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter shared on X, Love is expected to be out for the remainder of the preseason. Likewise, the Cardinals hope that the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft will be cleared in time for their September 13 regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.
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Fortunately for the Cardinals, Love suffered the injury during the preseason, giving him time to recover before the regular season. It’s also tough to criticize him for this style of play because he hasn’t missed a game in three seasons with the Fighting Irish.
Meanwhile, despite McAfee’s concerns about Love’s survivability, he praised the running back by saying, “We see Jeremiyah Love, second preseason game. He was awesome. He was magnificent. He was all over the place. He was playing as if it was the Super Bowl.”
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ESPN Writer Seconded McAfee’s Concerns About Jeremiyah Love
Love’s hard-nosed demeanor also had ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss cautious if the running back can finish the 2026 season injury-free. However, Jeremiyah Love could survive if the Cardinals continue to use him like they do this preseason.
“The way I watched him being used during training camp, I can see them using him more as a feature back. So, not the every-down guy because they signed Tyler Allgeier in the offseason to kinda be that short-yardage, bruising type of back, and they can use Love in unique situations,” Weinfuss shared with McAfee.
In addition to Allgeier, who ranked 39th on PFN’s RB Impact Rankings last season, the Cardinals also have Bam Knight and Corey Kiner at least until preseason. Without injuries, Jeremiyah Love could also be competing for snaps against Trey Benson and James Conner.
