Will Jeremiyah Love start for the Arizona Cardinals when he returns? Aidin breaks down the Jeremiyah Love return timeline and fantasy football outlook ahead of Week 10.
Jeremiyah Love dominated college football in his last two seasons at Notre Dame, scoring 40 touchdowns from scrimmage and wowing scouts across the nation. Those collegiate accomplishments led to him being drafted with the third-overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, which also made him break the record for the most guaranteed money ever paid to a running back in NFL history.
That massive investment from the Cardinals raised expectations heading into the 2026 season, and he looked pretty impressive in his first four games, putting up 259 yards and two touchdowns from scrimmage. However, he suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 8 and could miss four to five weeks.
Will Love be the Cardinals' starting running back when he returns? Let's dive in.
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Will Jeremiyah Love Start For The Arizona Cardinals When He Returns?
The Cardinals' RB room is a pretty complicated situation. For someone who entered the season with a high-ankle sprain, Love had a pretty heavy workload early on. In his first five weeks, he had 67 carries, almost double that of RB2 Tyler Allgeier.
Tyler Allgeier breaks free for a 63-yard rushing TD!
AZvsDAL on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/PuMUPt7CLa— NFL (@NFL) November 1, 2026
Love missed the next two games due to injury, and in that span, Allgeier averaged just 2.2 yards per carry. That opened the door for Bam Knight, who put up 5.8 yards per carry and looked like the second-best running back on the team.
But the Week 8 game against the Cowboys changed everything. Love got hurt once again, but to the surprise of everyone, Allgeier took over the game. He had 191 yards and two touchdowns from scrimmage, leading the Cardinals to an unlikely victory.
Knight missed Week 9 with a concussion, and Allgeier was the team's only RB to record a carry against the Seahawks. But it seems like that game against Dallas was a mirage, as Allgeier had just 2.7 yards per carry in an ugly loss.
Knight will be back this week, and it'll be interesting to see how the Knight/Allgeier dynamic will play out. It's worth mentioning that Evan Hull served as the RB2 against Seattle, but didn't record a rushing attempt. Former Browns running back Jerome Ford is also on the team's practice squad.
Beloved Cardinal James Conner, who is fourth on the team's all-time rushing list, is working hard to play again this season. But his potential impact could be very limited due to his age and his year-long stay on the sidelines.
Jeremiyah Love Fantasy Football Outlook
After jumping out to a surprising 3-5 start, the Cardinals have traded away Jacoby Brissett and have lost Gardner Minshew II to a potentially season-ending injury. It looks like they will focus entirely on youth development in the second half of the year.
Jeremiyah Love makes it a one-score game in the Bay 👀
@AZvsSF on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/0mdc38FjPE— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2026
But should they carry Love into the ground? Love has been dealing with ankle issues all year, dating back to preseason. He's currently their most important asset, and they must do whatever they can to protect him.
Maybe Love won't have as big a role as he did to start the year, especially if the team decides to give James Conner some work late in the year as a "goodbye" to a fan favorite.
Cardinals reporter Zach Gershman provided a concerning report that Love's injury is not a re-aggravation. "This is new," coach Mike LaFleur said. "This is not the left ankle or the right. It's a new portion of the ankle. I'll keep it at that."
This doesn't sound too hopeful, and it shouldn't make you count on Love to carry your fantasy football team when playoff season rolls around.
Love will still probably be the RB1, but with Allgeier, Knight, and potentially Conner, the Cardinals will have plenty of options to take the load off him and help him stay fresh for next season.
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Popular Week 10 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 10 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Tyler Allgeier, Aaron Jones Sr., Rico Dowdle, Kaleb Johnson, Omarion Hampton compared to others:
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