One of the key storylines heading into Arizona Cardinals training camp was rookie Jeremiyah Love. Arizona paid a premium to invest in the talented Notre Dame product with the No. 3 overall pick, which was questionable at the time given their glaring needs at other more valuable positions.
Training camp provides the first glimpse into whether their decision to prioritize talent over position was a worthwhile opportunity cost. While there's certainly still excitement surrounding Love entering the season as arguably the most skilled offensive rookie in the class, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett recently had a trending quote that suggests Cardinals fans may have to temper those expectations in the short term.
#Cardinals OC Nathaniel Hackett
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) July 25, 2026
on whether he sees the RB room as having a starter: “I’m really excited about it. Excited for James [Conner] to get out there and show what he’s got. I mean, all the guys.”
on Jeremiyah Love’s progression: “I mean, he’s definitely a rookie” pic.twitter.com/YcVTBfkrMV
Running backs are typically one of the easiest plug-and-play fits in terms of making that leap from college to the NFL level, so the fact that Hackett's answer is "he's definitely a rookie" has to be somewhat concerning.
Cardinals fans may have to temper Jeremiyah Love expectations
The only path to justifying the steep draft investment at a position that was a luxury rather than a necessity is that Love is so good to the point where he's a significant upgrade from the rest of the options at the position.
Arizona ranked 31st in rushing yards per game last season (93.1), finishing only ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders (77.5). For one, the Raiders spending a No. 6 overall pick on Boise State's Ashton Jeanty the year prior only to finish dead last in the league should've been a cautionary tale for the Cardinals to consider looking at a different position.
Love will certainly help those numbers from last season, but they didn't necessarily address the root of the problem: a mediocre offensive line.
Warren Sharp has the Cardinals O-line ranked 26th heading into the season, giving them a score of 28/100. Pair that with a replacement-level starting quarterback who can't really keep defenses honest, and you're looking at a weak run game regardless.
The Cardinals already did enough to address the position by signing former Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier to a two-year, $12.25 million deal. He was set to benefit from an increased role in Arizona, which would've been enough when considering the rest of the running back room, particularly James Conner and Trey Benson, were coming back from their respective season-ending injuries.
Is that a great group? Probably not. But it would've been serviceable enough to the point where a three-win Cardinals team could've filled more important areas of need with the No. 3 overall pick.
It's important not to overreact to training camp, but we were already worried about the opportunity cost of the Love pick, and Hackett's latest answer has only exacerbated those concerns.
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