Arizona Cardinals rookie Jeremiyah Love will look to turn early flashes into sustained production Sunday when the San Francisco 49ers visit in an NFC West matchup.
Love, the third overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, has opened his career with 70 rushing yards on 20 attempts and five catches for 25 yards. His 95 yards from scrimmage through two games fall short of the standard he set during his standout Notre Dame career.
“I want to have a huge game every week,” Love said Friday. “Last week, I didn’t, and that is difficult. I came from a place where I was producing every week. It has been humbling, but I’m adjusting to the role I’m in. It’s a challenge, and I’m ready for it.”
Quick facts
- Love has rushed 20 times for 70 yards, a 3.5-yard average, in two NFL games.
- He has added five receptions for 25 yards.
- The rookie has played 41.6 percent of Arizona’s offensive snaps.
- He shares backfield work with veteran power runner Tyler Allgeier.
- Arizona faces San Francisco on Sunday after Love’s quiet outing against Seattle.
The 21-year-old has already shown the burst that made him an elite prospect. In the season opener, he scored on a 5-yard run after cutting outside and beating Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Cam Hart to the pylon.
Still, Love’s opening numbers are a sharp change from his final two seasons with the Fighting Irish. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry in both years, earned All-American recognition and topped 95 scrimmage yards in nine of 12 games during his final college season. He also scored 21 touchdowns that year.
A lost stretch of preseason time has contributed to the adjustment. Love dealt with an ankle injury that took away much of his first NFL training camp exhibition schedule, and Arizona has not overloaded him while he works back into full rhythm alongside Allgeier.
His most recent opponent also offered little room for error. The Seahawks fielded one of the league’s more difficult defenses, leaving Love with another lesson in the weekly demands facing a rookie running back.
The matchup with San Francisco could offer a more favorable opening. The 49ers’ defensive front has been hit by injuries, including a calf issue for Nick Bosa that will keep the star edge rusher out for multiple weeks after he was injured while warming up for Thursday’s practice.
Love also will share the field with a player he views as a blueprint: 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, a three-time All-Pro.
“I hope I can bring that kind of impact to my team,” Love said. “I want to do the things he does, while still putting my own style into it.”
Sunday gives Love another chance to make his first major NFL statement, with McCaffrey and a depleted 49ers front on the other sideline.
