Jeremiyah Love’s hard work paying off ahead of expected NFL debut vs. Chargers: ‘I just want to play football’

TEMPE — Arizona Cardinals rookie running back Jeremiyah Love may have been sidelined for the majority of the preseason due to a high ankle sprain.

He may have been forced to let off the gas on the field and watch mainly from the sideline following his impressive preseason debut. But off of it, he’s been hyper-focused on putting the injury behind him.

Jeremiyah Love said he’s been focused on getting extra work in, pushing himself and “just trying to do the right things” throughout his recovery from the high ankle sprain.

It’s been a day-to-day process for the Cardinals rookie, who is trending toward making his NFL debut in… pic.twitter.com/fkJWXLGaGF

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) September 10, 2026

“I’ve always just been trying to just do more than what they want me to do,” Love said Thursday. “Like when I first injured it, they wanted to put me in a boot. I’m like, ‘No, I just want to walk around. I want to feel it out and do my own thing.’

“But them being trainers, they know what’s best. … Throughout this whole process of dealing with this high ankle, I’ve always just been pushing myself, getting extra work and just trying to do the right things.”

The hard work is clearly paying off, with Love logging back-to-back days of practice. He’s been limited in each, though during the portions open to the media, has looked every bit of what everyone saw throughout training camp and the preseason.

At this point, him not playing Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers would be more shocking than if he got the nod.

All signs point to Love making his NFL debut this weekend. But as he’s done throughout his recovery, it’s a day-to-day process for the rookie. It’s all about staying in the present.

 

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“I expect to do whatever the coach wants me to do,” Love said when asked if he expected to play this week. “If they want to put me out there, I’m going to go out there and play, whether my ankle feels 100%, 50%, 70%; I just want to play football.

“I’m going to fight my hardest to be out there every single game, every single snap of this season. Ultimately, it comes down to the coach’s decision whether I’m cleared or not.”

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