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Jeremiyah Love hasn’t played a single snap in the NFL yet – and he’s already making history. The Arizona Cardinals’ No. 3 overall pick officially signed his rookie deal on Friday, a four-year, $53 million fully guaranteed contract that sets a new record for the most guaranteed money ever paid to a running back in NFL history.
That’s not a typo. Every dollar of it is guaranteed.
For context, Saquon Barkley’s deal with the Philadelphia Eagles – which turned heads across the league earlier this year – came in at $36 million guaranteed. Before that, Ashton Jeanty’s rookie contract sat at $35.9 million guaranteed after last year’s draft, and Barkley’s original 2018 rookie deal checked in at $31.8 million. Love blew past all of them before his first training camp practice.
At $13.3 million per year, Love ranks sixth among all running backs in average annual value, according to OverTheCap.
To put that number in perspective, consider what else happened at the position this offseason. Kenneth Walker III – the guy who just won Super Bowl MVP with the Seattle Seahawks – signed a new deal. So did another established veteran back with years of NFL production behind him. Between those two, they’ve combined for 6,953 career rushing yards and 58 touchdowns from scrimmage over the last four seasons alone.
Love has yet to put on pads for a pro practice.
That’s not a knock on him – it’s a reflection of just how dramatically the market has shifted for top-end running backs, and how much the Cardinals are betting on what Love can become. He was genuinely one of the most exciting backs in college football last season, winning the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best running back after putting up 1,372 rushing yards, 280 receiving yards and 21 total touchdowns for Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish.
Arizona’s Offense Built Around Love
The Cardinals didn’t use the third overall pick on a running back by accident. Love is expected to be the focal point of their offense from day one, and the structure of his contract reflects that commitment. Running backs have historically struggled to cash in on second contracts – their peak years often coincide with that first rookie deal before the market moves on – so there’s a real argument that getting paid now, at the top of his value, is the smartest outcome Love could’ve hoped for.
And it sounds like he knows exactly what to do with it, too. Speaking to reporters after the Cardinals’ first rookie minicamp practice, the 20-year-old didn’t exactly sound like someone ready to splurge.
“I’m not gonna touch the money. I’m probably just gonna put it all away and live normally like I’ve been doing now.”
Reporters pushed back, naturally. Really – nothing?
“Nah. No. Honestly, my dad and my mom have set up a great team around me that have made sure that once I get paid, my financials are taken care of.”
That’s via Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic, who was there for the exchange.
The Cardinals also hold a fifth-year option on the deal, giving them some flexibility as Love develops. But based on what they’ve already committed – and the the record they’ve already set – it’s clear Arizona isn’t treating Love like a typical rookie. They’re treating him like a franchise cornerstone.
