Will Jeremiyah Love play in Week 1? Arizona Cardinals provide update

Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur was hesitant to provide injury updates on Monday, Sept. 7, as his team began its preparations for Week 1. After all, the NFL does not require teams to disclose details on injuries until their first full practice of the week, typically on a Wednesday before a Sunday game.

LaFleur did, however, provide a positive answer when asked whether he is optimistic that running back Jeremiyah Love will be ready for the Cardinals’ opener, against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Sept. 13.

The Cardinals held a jog-through behind closed doors on Monday, and LaFleur said that Love was “out there moving around.”

Last week, Love was present but not participating during portions of practice open to media.

“We’ll see on Wednesday; I’ll have a better idea for all those (injured) guys,” LaFleur said.

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That list also includes right guard Isaiah Adams (knee) and cornerback Will Johnson (ankle), neither of whom practiced last week.

LaFleur has been transparent about injuries throughout the offseason, but said that he was hesitant to provide too many details during a game week.

“I think we know there’s a team over in California that’s listening to this too right now,” LaFleur said.

On Wednesday, though, the Cardinals will be required to publish their first full injury report of the season.

Before breaking for their league-mandated three-day weekend, the Cardinals voted on their five captains: quarterback Jacoby Brissett, center Hjalte Froholdt, safety Budda Baker, linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. and long snapper Casey Kreiter.

Froholdt, Baker and Wilson were all captains last season, while Brissett was an expected inclusion as the starting quarterback entering Week 1.

On special teams, Kreiter steps in for the injured Joey Blount in a leadership role, as the most reliable of the Cardinals’ three specialists. Kicker Chad Ryland has struggled over the past year, and punter Blake Gillikin has dealt with a lengthy string of injuries.

With only two captains on offense and defense — down from three a year ago — running back James Conner did not make the cut, as he begins the season on injured reserve.

“When you do get voted a captain, obviously that’s saying that your teammates, the locker room, looks up to you,” LaFleur said. “I can’t think of five better people to look up to in terms of just guys that are gonna keep it real with each other, hold people to standards, communicate with me.”

In another reality, the arrival of Week 1 could be intimidating for a first-time head coach. LaFleur has never run his own in-season schedule — building and installing a game plan under the time constraint of a looming kickoff.

But as his first real test looms, LaFleur is comfortable in his own preparations.

“Obviously it’s gonna be new for our guys, but me personally, this is basically the same as what we did for three years in LA,” LaFleur said.

Plus, the Cardinals’ schedule this week will be the same as it was during training camp, when they held morning meetings and lifting sessions before late-afternoon practices.

“I told them today, it’s gonna feel like training camp, just not as many hours cause you’re not gonna go as long as training camp,” LaFleur said.

And on Monday, LaFleur said his players responded well, rejuvenated after the three-day break. It felt, he said, more like a continuation of training camp than the start of a game week, even as the coaching staff began installing its game plan.

“When I really anticipate to feel it is on Wednesday,” LaFleur said. “Because that’s gonna be that first real Wednesday work day.”