The Arizona Cardinals will be without their highly touted No. 3 overall draft selection, running back Jeremiyah Love, for a minimum of one week, the team's head coach announced.
Coach Mike LaFleur confirmed on Saturday that Love sustained an ankle injury during the team's preseason matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday. While Love expressed little concern immediately following the game, he reported a noticeable soreness when he arrived at the facility on Friday.
"He was in great spirits, even Friday," LaFleur noted. "But we'll keep him out this week as we let it heal. So, a little bit more sore than we were anticipating."
Rookie Running Back's Immediate Future
When questioned about how Love's ankle injury might affect his availability for Week 1 of the regular season, LaFleur chose not to speculate beyond the current week's practice schedule.
"This week, and then we'll kind of go from there and reevaluate," LaFleur stated. "Honestly, all the focus is on Aug. 15, Saturday. Here we are in our Tempe block (of practice). We'll kind of reevaluate going into next week. But he will be out this week."
Consequently, Love will not participate in the Cardinals' second preseason contest, scheduled for next Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys. In his inaugural preseason appearance, Love demonstrated his potential, tallying 58 rushing yards on 11 carries and adding 14 receiving yards from three catches.
With Love sidelined, Tyler Allgeier is expected to assume the primary running back role, supported by Bam Knight and Corey Kiner. Veteran running back James Conner is also on the mend from a right foot injury that kept him out of 14 games last season and has yet to join 11-on-11 drills.
Offensive Line Suffers Significant Blow
Adding to the team's injury concerns, Love is not the only rookie to be impacted during the initial preseason game. Second-round pick Chase Bisontis, who was competing for the starting right guard position, suffered a torn MCL in his left knee.
Coach LaFleur indicated that Bisontis will be placed on injured reserve and is scheduled to undergo surgery for the injured knee. This injury represents a substantial setback for the Cardinals' offensive line.
"He'll be out for a good amount of time, if not the whole year," LaFleur commented. "Sucks for him. Always think about the player first. Sucks for the Cardinals too. He's a good player, but more importantly, you hate it for the player."
