Cardinals OC Hackett's Quote on Jeremiyah Love Goes Viral with Trending Video

Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett rang some alarm bells with how he described first-round pick Jeremiyah Love during an availability with the media Saturday.

Hackett declined to name a starting running back when asked and spoke matter-of-factly when addressing Love specifically.

"He's definitely a rookie, and as we've talked about, he'll keep growing every single day," he said. "Very excited for him. All those guys, not just him. I'm very excited about this room. There are a lot of guys that have a lot of carries, a lot of experience. Guys that can do multiple things."

Love had 3,014 yards from scrimmage and 40 touchdowns during his final two years at Notre Dame. Many considered him one of the best overall players in the 2026 draft class, and Arizona made a big investment by selecting him with the No. 3 pick.

Many fans expect the Heisman Trophy finalist to hit the ground running. It doesn't make much sense to spend a top-five pick on the backfield and then have the player glued to the bench.

Hackett's comments, however, may temper some of the general excitement around Love.