Cardinals Coach Mike LaFleur Draws Backlash Over No. 3 Pick's High Ankle Sprain

Q: With Arizona's backfield suddenly decimated by injuries, who will emerge as the unexpected starting running back for their regular-season opener?

Tyler Allgeier is the most likely unexpected Week 1 starter if Arizona’s injury crunch lingers. The evidence points that way because he is currently the top healthy, established back on the depth chart. With rookie Jeremiyah Love expected to miss the rest of the preseason because of an ankle injury, James Conner still limited by a foot issue, and Trey Benson sidelined by a knee problem with no firm return timeline, Arizona may have little choice but to lean on Allgeier early. Multiple reports describe him as the Cardinals’ top healthy running back at the moment. That said, this is still more of a contingency answer than a settled one. Love is not considered a major concern for the regular-season opener, and the Cardinals still have several weeks to get him ready. If he recovers on schedule, he remains the favorite to have a major role immediately, even if Arizona manages his workload. Conner’s status also matters; if he returns to full work before Week 1, the backfield picture changes again. Behind Allgeier, Bam Knight and Corey Kiner are the depth names to watch during the final preseason games. Knight has experience and even started games for Arizona last season, while Kiner has flashed enough to stay in the conversation. But if the opener were played right now, Allgeier would be the clearest bet to start.

Q: Did the Cardinals make a costly mistake by risking their first-round rookie running back until the final play of a meaningless preseason game?

Yes — it looks like a defensible football decision that still carried avoidable risk, and the Cardinals are now paying at least a short-term price. Arizona’s rationale was clear. Mike LaFleur said Jeremiyah Love needed live reps because he had barely played, and the staff knew starters were unlikely to get much preseason work overall. Love’s 14 touches and 23-to-27 snaps produced useful evaluation: 58 rushing yards, 14 receiving yards, and signs he was settling into the speed of the NFL game. By that standard, the plan did deliver information. But the criticism is also fair because of context. Love is a first-round pick, the preseason opener was low-stakes, and he stayed in until the final play, when he got rolled up and injured his ankle. With James Conner limited by a foot issue and Trey Benson out with a knee injury, Arizona’s backfield was already under strain. The rookie class has also been hit hard, with Chase Bisontis and Kaleb Proctor on injured reserve and Carson Beck managing a rib issue. That made the exposure harder to justify. The good news is this does not yet appear catastrophic. Reports indicate Love has a high ankle sprain, is likely done for the preseason, but could still be ready for Week 1. So the decision may not become truly costly if he returns on time. Still, in hindsight, giving a premium rookie running back that much preseason volume — especially through the final snap — was a gamble that did not age well.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 17

Mike LaFleur sparked online criticism after refusing to confirm Jeremiyah Love's diagnosis, saying only, "It's an ankle," even after Arizona identified a high ankle sprain.
The backlash grew because LaFleur had sounded optimistic after the Raiders preseason game, saying Love could have returned, before soreness revealed a more serious injury.
Love had 14 touches before getting hurt, and some fans also questioned why the No. 3 overall pick was used so heavily in a preseason opener.
Arizona now expects Love to miss the Aug. 22 game against Dallas and possibly the rest of preseason, leaving his Sept. 13 opener status uncertain.
That absence deepens a backfield strain already involving James Conner's foot and ankle recovery and Trey Benson's knee issue, pushing Tyler Allgeier into more first-team work.