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The Cardinals not only swung big with their selection of Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the team has helped reset the salary structure at the position.
Even before Love plays a single down in the NFL, he has far more guaranteed money in his contract than any other running back in the league.
As a result of his draft position and the NFL’s rookie wage scale, Love will be in line for a four-year, $53.02 million contract, with a fifth-year team option. Like all rookie deals, the entire pact is guaranteed.
Because of that, Love races well past the $36 million in guaranteed money that the Eagles’ Saquon Barkley has in his two-year, $41.2 million contract, and had been the NFL leader for running backs. The average annual value of $13.255 million is also good for fifth in the NFL behind Barkley, the 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey, the Ravens’ Derrick Henry, and the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor.
The pick also means Love is the highest-drafted running back since the Giants selected Barkley at No. 2 in 2018.
A Different Skill Set
Running backs are often not as valued around the NFL compared to in prior generations, in part due to injury rates at the position and a greater focus on passing in many team offensive plans. Love, however, moved up many draft boards leading up to the event and became the Cardinals’ top target due to a unique set of attributes.
Love averaged nearly seven yards per carry as he ran for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns for the Fighting Irish, and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting behind Indiana quarterback and No. 1 selection Fernando Mendoza, picked by the Raiders, and Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. Love is also seen as a big-play threat both as a runner and a receiver out of the backfield.
“There is no secret in this league. ‘Explosives’ are massive,” said newly hired Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur. “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, meanwhile, are trying to rebound after a 3-14 season in 2025, the team’s ninth non-playoff campaign in the last 10 years.
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