Jeremiyah Love’s early NFL journey has hit an unexpected pause after an injury raised questions about when the rookie can return. The Arizona Cardinals need their young running back healthy before the regular season begins, but his recovery is going to demand patience.
This situation has brought an unusual offer from an NFL veteran back into the spotlight. The former star claims he knows a strange way to deal with ankle sprains, although it is hardly a method most players would consider conventional.
Chad Johnson Offers Jeremiyah Love His Bizarre Ankle-Sprain Remedy
NFL Legend Chad Johnson has offered to share his unusual approach with Love after the Cardinals’ rookie suffered a high ankle sprain in his preseason debut. Johnson discussed the remedy during a recent segment on “Nightcap” and directly called out the 2026 first-round pick.
“He ain’t got to worry about it. Hey, Jeremiyah Love, holla at your boy. I guarantee you’ll be ready for the next game,” Johnson said. “Hey chat, somebody tell Jeremiyah Love about my remedy when it comes to sprained ankles, and I ain’t never had an issue. I was always ready.”
Johnson’s method involves soaking an injured ankle in warm urine collected from teammates. He has previously explained that he asked teammates to drink plenty of water before collecting their urine in a bucket. He would then heat the liquid before placing his ankle in it for roughly 30 minutes.
START PREPARING: PFN’s Free Fantasy Draft Simulator
During a 2016 appearance on “Mike & Mike,” Johnson explained his unusual approach to ankle sprains: “You know what I did for ankle sprains? I would collect warm urine from my teammates, heat it up, and put my ankle in it for 30 minutes. Yeah, that worked.”
Johnson has credited his grandmother with introducing him to the practice and has claimed it helped him recover from ankle sprains within a few days. However, there is no established medical evidence showing that urine can speed ligament healing or reduce the damage caused by a high ankle sprain.
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s Free NFL Mock Draft Simulator
This distinction matters for Love, who was selected No. 3 overall by Arizona in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Cardinals, who expected him to boost the team’s offense after ranking in the bottom half of the PFN NFL Offense Impact last season, have ruled him out for the rest of the preseason. They are still hoping he can recover in about four weeks, putting a Week 1 return against the Los Angeles Chargers in reach.
High ankle sprains can require several weeks of recovery and may affect a running back’s cutting ability and explosiveness. Arizona will therefore have to monitor Love closely rather than rush him back.
For now, the Cardinals are expected to rely more heavily on Tyler Allgeier while Love rehabs. James Conner is still working toward full 11-on-11 participation, while Trey Benson is also dealing with a knee issue.
