Jeremiyah Love's High Ankle Sprain Pauses the Cardinals' Rookie Hype Train

The Arizona Cardinals just got their first real reminder that the NFL preseason is mostly a trap designed to ruin nice things.

According to Adam Schefter, rookie running back Jeremiyah Love is dealing with a high ankle sprain. He is officially done for the rest of the exhibition slate, with the team crossing their fingers that he can suit up for the September 13 regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.

"Adam Schefter reported the injury and timeline."

This is a brutal momentum killer for a guy who was actually giving fans a reason to watch August football. Before his ankle decided to stop cooperating in a 27-14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, Love was cooking. He turned 11 carries into 58 yards and caught all three of his targets for another 14 yards.

For context, averaging over five yards a pop in your first professional action is exactly how you start building a cult following. Now, instead of climbing the depth chart, he gets to spend the next month living in a walking boot and answering the same three questions from trainers.

If you were looking to grab Love as a late-round fantasy sleeper or eyeing his early-season rushing props, it is time to hit the pause button. High ankle sprains are notoriously stubborn, and even if he is cleared for Week 1, trusting a rookie on a bad wheel against a Chargers defense that just smothered the Houston Texans 27-7 is a massive leap of faith.

The Cardinals now have to navigate the rest of training camp without their shiny new backfield toy. We will see if Love can actually beat the clock for September 13, but until then, Arizona just lost a serious dose of offensive juice.