As long as he stayed with the Atlanta Falcons, Tyler Allgeier was always going to be living in Bijan Robinson's shadow. But he's proven to be capable of more of a larger role, and he signed a two-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals in hopes of establishing himself as a solid feature back elsewhere.
Just weeks after Allgeier took his talents to the desert, the Cardinals blindsided him. They selected Notre Dame standout Jeremiyah Love with the third pick in the 2026 NFL Draft with the hopes of making him their long-term feature back--the same thing the Falcons did three years prior with Bijan.
If you think the 26-year-old was screwed over by an incompetent front office, you're probably right. You don't take an RB in the top five of the draft to not treat them like a workhorse. However, Tyler Allgeier took some first-team reps at the start of training camp and is about to take a whole lot more.
With Jeremiyah Love hurt, Tyler Allgeier is now a starting running back
After a sensational debut in Arizona's preseason opener, Love suffered an ankle injury that now has his Week 1 status in jeopardy. But the extent of the injury has been heavily debated. Adam Schefter referred to it as a high-ankle sprain, but Mike LaFleur never outwardly confirmed Schefter's report.
Cardinals rookie running back Jeremiyah Love is dealing with a high ankle sprain, per sources. It makes it unlikely that Love plays again this preseason, with the team hoping he can return for the Sept. 13 regular-season opener vs the Chargers. pic.twitter.com/H0vb0R7x4k
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 17, 2026
Regardless, it doesn't change the inevitable in regards to Tyler Allgeier. Jeremiyah Love will miss time, and as long as the latter is hurt, he's going to be the Cardinals' feature back, with James Conner and potentially Trey Benson mixing in. But the lion's share of the carries will be his, especially if Love is unable to play in Week 1 against the Chargers.
The 2022 fifth-round pick was waiting for his chance to be a lead running back, and now he'll get it. Unfortunately it'll come with a Cardinals team with a bad offensive line and will likely be playing from behind a lot, so while game script isn't in his favor, he has a prime chance to carve out a larger role.
The recovery time for a high-ankle sprain is between three and eight weeks, so No. 4 should be out a while. And as long as he is, Arizona's run game will run through Allgeier--which is the advertising he was hoping for when he signed there. It'll offer him the chance to prove he's capable of being more than just a goal-line or change-of-pace RB meant to spell one of the league's best like Bijan or Love.
The BYU product has one season as a true feature back under his belt, and that came as a rookie. He recorded 210 carries for 1,035 rushing yards on a career-high 4,9 yards a carry. He's thrived before, and the Cardinals should know they can trust him should the Heisman finalist's recovery timeline be on the longer side.
Tyler Allgeier waited years his opportunity to be an RB1, and an injury has thrust him into the spotlight. Hopefully he can take advantage should Jeremiyah Love miss the start of 2026.
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