Jeremiyah Love Injury 2026: Cardinals Ankle, OROY Race

The Jeremiyah Love injury is now the most important number in Arizona's backfield. The Cardinals rookie did not practice Wednesday so he could rest his left ankle, and his status for Sunday's game against the Rams is unclear, per ESPN. Coach Mike LaFleur said the plan is to take it "one day at a time."

Love went third overall in the draft. Through the first five games of the Cardinals' season, he is no longer the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite, per Covers.

Jeremiyah Love Injury: What the Cardinals Said Wednesday

ESPN's Josh Weinfuss reported that the Cardinals understand that for the ankle to fully heal, Love needs to stay off it. LaFleur said Love wants to battle through, but the team is "all in agreeance" that he should get some rest and the staff will see how the week goes.

LaFleur also drew a line between two ankle problems. He said the way Love came back from the preseason injury "was unbelievable," but the current one "happened when the regular season started and it's just lingered." LaFleur pointed to how aggressive Love is with his cuts, which ESPN says, as LaFleur intimated, makes it harder for the injury to stop lingering.

Asked about Love's explosiveness, LaFleur said it has been affected in some ways in recent weeks. In his words, "I don't think it's an overall hindrance," but the rest is going to be "vital."

How We Got Here: Two Ankles and a Slow Start

The first scare came in August. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Aug. 16 that Love was "dealing with a high ankle sprain," per NBC Sports. Arizona was hoping he would be ready for the opener, which left him just under a month to heal.

The second came in the loss to the Giants in Week 4. Per Rotoworld's NBC Sports notes, LaFleur said Love tweaked his other ankle in that game, so he has had two ankles to manage. The same notes quote Love saying after the game that this is shaping up to be the "longest year" of his life and that he told coaches Tyler Allgeier and Bam Knight were in better shape to play than he was. Those were Love's own words as relayed by Rotoworld.

Through the first five games of the Cardinals' season Love has 245 rushing yards and one touchdown on 67 carries, a 3.7 yards-per-carry average, plus 36 receiving yards and a touchdown on 11 catches, per ESPN. His best game was Week 3 at San Francisco, when he ran for 89 yards. In Sunday's loss to the Lions he managed 22 yards on 12 carries.

Betting Impact: Rams Line and the OROY Market

The market has already moved on the game itself. DraftKings, per ESPN's odds page on Oct. 15, lists the Rams as 12.5-point favorites over Arizona at -112, with the Cardinals at +12.5 (-108). The total is 51.5, and the moneyline sits at Rams -900 and Cardinals +600. ESPN's page shows the Rams opened at -13.5, so the spread has come in a point rather than ballooned. The Cardinals are 1-4 and the Rams are 2-3.

Arizona has not said how Love's availability would change its game plan. Allgeier and Knight are the backs Love named himself, but Arizona has not said how it would split the work if he sits. Rushing yardage and anytime touchdown props on Cardinals backs should not be priced until the final practice report and any game-day designation are in.

The award market is where this story has a longer tail. Covers, updated Oct. 14, reports that Cleveland's Denzel Boston pushed Love aside after Week 5 to become the new Offensive Rookie of the Year leader. Boston has scored three times through five games and has two 85-plus-yard outings, per Covers. The percentages on that page come from Kalshi, an exchange rather than a sportsbook, and they put Boston at 28%, Love at 26%, Carnell Tate at 15% and Fernando Mendoza at 6%. Covers labels the table "as of 10-21," which does not match its Oct. 14 update stamp, so treat the exact figures as a snapshot. For the preseason view of the same race, see our NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds breakdown.

Love is within two percentage points of the leader on that page.

What to Watch Next

The calendar is short and specific.

Thursday and Friday: Arizona's practice reports. Whether Love returns to practice, even in limited fashion, is the first real signal on Sunday.

Sunday, Oct. 18: the Cardinals face the Rams, with ESPN's odds page listing a 20:05 UTC start (4:05 p.m. ET). Watch for the game-day inactives.

After the game: Love's workload relative to Allgeier and Knight.

Arizona's bye: per Rotoworld's NBC Sports notes, the Cardinals do not get a bye until Week 14, so there is no scheduled rest week to heal the ankle.

None of this is a diagnosis. LaFleur said the left ankle has lingered since the regular season started, and the team has not announced a timetable.

For a quick read on how the rest of the slate is shaping up, the daily NFL picks page has the day's board, and our AI sports picks hub covers the broader board. StatSniper's Chad picks hub has the daily board. For the league-wide context, ESPN's NFL coverage carries the latest team reports.

FAQ

Is Jeremiyah Love playing Sunday against the Rams? It is not clear. Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur said Love's status is unclear after he sat out Wednesday's practice, and the team is taking it one day at a time, per ESPN.

What is Jeremiyah Love's injury? LaFleur said the left ankle has lingered since the regular season started. Separately, Schefter reported a high ankle sprain in August, and Rotoworld relayed that LaFleur said Love tweaked his other ankle in the Week 4 loss to the Giants.

How has Jeremiyah Love played this season? Per ESPN, he has 245 rushing yards and one touchdown on 67 carries (3.7 per carry), and 36 receiving yards and a touchdown on 11 catches. He ran for 22 yards on 12 carries against the Lions.

Who is the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year? Per Covers, citing Kalshi percentages on an Oct. 14 update, Cleveland's Denzel Boston leads at 28%, with Love second at 26%. The page's table is labeled "as of 10-21," so confirm the live market before acting.

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