Monti Ossenfort explains delay during Jeremiyah Love draft pick: ‘We had the wrong phone number’
The Cardinals’ draft delay wasn’t a trade. GM Monti Ossenfort had the wrong number for Jeremiyah Love, causing brief “technical difficulties.”
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love reacts as he walks on stage before the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
With the Cardinals on the clock and the time ticking down, many assumed Arizona was working the phones and trying to trade its pick; however, the Cardinals actually ran into an issue that prevented them from contacting Jeremiyah Love.
GM Monti Ossenfort tried calling Love but was unsuccessful at first, due to “technical difficulties.”
“If you want me to tell you the honest God truth, we had the wrong phone number,” Ossenfort told reporters after the draft. “The phone number that we were given was the wrong one, and so that was a little bit of the delay.”
“We had the wrong phone number … that’s what the delay was.”
Monti Ossenfort said the Cardinals had the wrong phone number for Jeremiyah Love and that’s why it was deep into the clock until Arizona had its pick at No. 3 overall.
He said there were minimal conversations on… pic.twitter.com/dTSDdGJifI
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) April 24, 2026
The general manager was eventually able to reach the running back out of Notre Dame, and they “were not anywhere close” to trading the pick.
“So we got that straightened out and we called Jeremiah and we got a hold of him. That’s what the delay was,” Ossenfort said.






Comments
3 Comments
Cardinals: Hi NFL we're the Arizona Cardinals, can we get your number?
NFL: um...sure...555-5555
There I was thinking that the delay was due to the Cardinals trying to do something smart, working the phones and trying to trade the pick to get more resources and a better return. Instead, it just turns out that they were calling the wrong number. You would think I would learn not to expect competence from this team!
I have a hard time believing this considering the buzz around Love going to the Cardinals. Insiders clearly had info that he was going to us. Someone was leaking something which means we were probably talking to him before hand. Whatever the reason was, it wasn't this, because if it WAS this, is this a professional organization or not?