Love averaged 6.9 yards a carry with 17 touchdowns rushing in 2024 and followed up in 2025 with another 6.9 yards per carry, 18 more rushing touchdowns. He also averaged more than 10 yards on his 27 receptions with another three touchdowns.
Better yet, he did all that on only 226 touches in 2025, keeping his workload low heading into his NFL career.
Love will have a learning curve, LaFleur said, but his game-breaking ability will make a difference in a sport that demands them
“There is no secret in this league, ‘explosives’ are massive,” LaFleur said. “Outside of points, what are the two biggest factors offensively, it’s turnovers and explosives. Any way you can generate explosives, it’s a good thing for the offense.”
The Cardinals just signed Tyler Allgeier to a two-year free-agent contract and worked out James Conner’s deal to keep the veteran in Arizona. They still have 2024 third-round pick Trey Benson. But Love will jump to the top of the depth chart as a dynamic backfield option for LaFleur and his new offensive scheme.
“I expect them to have a great plan for the offense,” Love said. “So no matter if it’s 20 carries (for me) or 15 carries or 10 carries, no matter what it is, we’re going to do great things.”
Love to the Cardinals had been pushed nationally hard over the past few days. It was no smokescreen. Love said he was not surprised the Cardinals took him, noting he had “great dialogue” with GM Monti Ossenfort as the two clicked.
Once the Jets took Bailey, Love was confident his name would be next, thanks to his Ossenfort conversations. There were “minimal” conversations to trade down and that suited Ossenfort just fine. The GM said the Cardinals pretty much settled on Love at the beginning of the week, which dovetails with the reports suddenly emerging that the team was targeting the running back.
“I love him, he loves me, and we’re going to make this relationship work,” Love said. “We’re going to do some great things.”
The Cardinals, with injuries to Conner and Benson last season as well as much of the offensive line, struggled to run the ball all season. They averaged just 93.1 yards a game.
That will change with a running back room now filled with Love.
“I’m still on the hunt for something for something greater than this,” Love said of his draft status. “That hunt is never going to stop.”