The Arizona Cardinals are heading into a new era for their franchise, with the team parting ways with head coach Jonathan Gannon, replacing him with Matt LaFleur, and also moving on from former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray.
Along with making drastic changes in hopes of turning around the struggling franchise, the Cardinals landed one of the best offensive players in the 2026 NFL Draft, bringing in former Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love.
The Cardinals also brought in a quarterback who could potentially be the new face of the franchise in the near future, in Carson Beck, who’ll have to earn his stripes to move up the depth chart, with Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II sitting ahead of him.
Jeremiyah Love
GettyJeremiyah Love #4 of the Arizona Cardinals
During his time with the Fighting Irish, Love was explosive out of the backfield while getting better and better each year during his college career.
The Cardinals didn’t hesitate to bring in Love, as they selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after Fernando Mendoza (Las Vegas Raiders) and David Bailey (New York Jets) were off the board, even though they had a need at quarterback.
Ultimately, the Cardinals were fortunate enough to be able to draft Beck at No. 65 overall, setting up what could potentially be a promising duo in the post-Kyle Murray era in Arizona.
Along with being a talented ball carrier, Love has the potential to be a force to be reckoned with downfield as a pass catcher, which he put on display recently on the field during training camp, via Johnny Venerable of PHNX Sports.
During his three years at Notre Dame, Love caught only 63 passes for 594 receiving yards and three touchdowns, so he wasn’t exactly a prolific receiver in college, but Arizona and new head coach Matt LaFleur may be planning to use him differently.
Love is already expected to be the lead back for the Cardinals, which says something about the team’s high hopes for the rookie.
If he can become a threat as a receiver, the Cardinals may have the potential to have a high-powered offense during the 2026 campaign, with the team also having one of the best tight ends in the game with Trey McBride and an up-and-coming wide receiver in Marvin Harrison Jr.
Obviously, the quarterback position is still a question mark, with Jacoby Brissett expected to be the Week 1 starter, but he’ll have the weapons at his disposal to make some noise in 2026.
Jacoby Brissett Inks One-Year Deal With Cardinals
GettyJacoby Brissett #7 of the Arizona Cardinals
With Murray now with the Minnesota Vikings, Brissett is the leader under center moving forward.
The veteran journeyman wanted a pay raise ahead of the 2026 NFL season, and he got his wish, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Even though Beck is the future at quarterback in Arizona, the Cardinals will continue to lean on Brissett moving forward, which isn’t a bad option for the struggling franchise in the short term.
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