Cardinals Rushing Rookie Jeremiyah Love Back From Ankle Sprain Sounds Like a Trap

High ankle sprains are the NFL's version of a check-engine light. You can ignore it and keep driving, but you are probably going to end up stranded on the side of the highway. Yet, here we are with the Arizona Cardinals acting like a little duct tape will fix everything.

Head coach Mike LaFleur told reporters on Monday that he is optimistic rookie running back Jeremiyah Love will suit up this Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. This comes roughly four weeks after the first-round pick suffered a high ankle sprain in his preseason debut.

"Mike LaFleur said Monday he is optimistic that first-round pick Jeremiyah Love will be able to play Sunday against the Chargers."

For context, a standard high ankle sprain usually takes four to six weeks just to walk without wincing, let alone take hits from 250-pound linebackers. Rushing a rookie back out there this fast sounds like a plan cooked up by someone who plays with injuries turned off in Madden.

The desperation makes sense when you look at the Arizona depth chart. Love looked electric in his lone preseason action against the Las Vegas Raiders, racking up 58 rushing yards on 11 carries before getting rolled up. With James Conner dealing with his own practice limitations and Trey Benson nursing knee issues, the Cardinals are staring down a Week 1 backfield that looks more like a triage unit than an NFL rotation.

Fantasy managers and anyone eyeing the rushing props for this game need to treat this optimism with a massive grain of salt. Even if Love gets the green light, expecting a full workload from a rookie on a compromised ankle against a fresh Chargers defensive front is asking for a miracle.

We will see how much Love actually practices this week before buying into LaFleur's sunny outlook. If he is limited by Friday, expect Arizona to pivot to a heavy dose of Tyler Allgeier or whatever warm body they can find in the running back room by kickoff.