2026 NFL Draft: Contract details revealed for Cardinals first-round pick Jeremiyah Love

The Arizona Cardinals selected Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday. Full details of his rookie contract have been revealed, according to Spotrac.

Love’s four-year deal is worth $50,537,014, carrying an AAV of $12,634,254. His signing bonus is worth $33,214,190. Love, 20, is the first running back selected inside the top-five of the draft since the New York Giants took Saquon Barkley No. 2 overall in 2018.

Love began his college career in 2023 and played in all 13 games for the Fighting Irish that season. In his freshman season, Love rushed for 385 yards and one touchdown on 71 carries.

The following year, Love started all 16 games and rushed for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also caught 28 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns.

In 2025, Love became arguably the best running back in college football. He started all 12 games and rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 TDs. He also caught 27 passes for 280 yards and three TDs. Love was selected to the Associated Press First-Team All-America team, won the Doak Walker Award (nation’s top RB), and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

Love played high school football at Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis, Missouri. He was ranked No. 77 in the 2023 On3|Rivals national industry rankings. Love was also ranked the fifth-best running back and the second-best player in Missouri that year.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Jeremiyah Love

Now that Love is in the NFL, fans are wondering what type of player he will be. NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein shared his analysis of the 20-year-old and has high expectations for him.

“Three-phase running back capable of stressing defenses with big-play speed and untapped pass-catching value,” Zierlein wrote. “Love shared carries but was the heartbeat of Notre Dame’s offense over the last two years. He runs with a fierce tempo and processes the front with adequate eyes to find entry points and burst through them.

“Urgency works in his favor, but he’ll occasionally miss open lanes when he gets too deep too quickly. Outstanding speed erases pursuit angles to the corner and helps him pull away from tacklers once he opens his gait. He’s live-legged with violent cuts in segmented bursts that can elude tacklers but slow his momentum. He’s not a pile-mover, but he runs through contact and squeezes out extra yards as a committed finisher.”