The 2026 NFL Draft just made history. The Arizona Cardinals selected Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 overall pick — and in doing so, handed him a fully guaranteed $50.5 million rookie contract, the largest guaranteed deal ever given to a running back in the history of the NFL.
He is 20 years old. He has not played a single professional snap. And he just rewrote the record books before even putting on a Cardinals jersey.
This is everything you need to know about Jeremiyah Love — the contract, the career, the controversy, and why the football world cannot stop talking about him.
The Contract: $50.5 Million, Fully Guaranteed — An NFL Record
Love signed a four-year, $50.5 million fully guaranteed rookie contract with the Arizona Cardinals — the largest guaranteed deal ever given to a running back in the history of the NFL. The previous record belonged to Saquon Barkley, who received $36 million guaranteed on his rookie deal in 2018.
Per Spotrac, Love’s four-year deal is worth $50,537,014, carrying an average annual value of $12,634,254. His signing bonus alone is worth $33,214,190.
Over The Cap projects Love’s rookie contract at a total value of $53.9 million. Either way, the number is historic.
It is worth understanding why this contract is so significant. The $50.5 million fully guaranteed deal is the product of where Love was drafted, not a reflection of any special negotiation on the running back market. Rookie contracts in the NFL are slotted by draft position — the No. 3 overall pick gets a No. 3 overall pick contract. What makes Love’s contract historically significant for running backs is simply that no running back has ever been drafted this high in the current CBA era, which sets guaranteed money at a percentage of the slot.
Jeremiyah Love Rookie Contract vs. Historic Running Back Deals
| Player | Team | Draft Pick | Total Value | Guaranteed | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremiyah Love | Cardinals | #3 Overall | $50.5M | $50.5M (All) | 2026 |
| Saquon Barkley | Giants | #2 Overall | $41.2M | $36M | 2018 |
| Ashton Jeanty | Raiders | #6 Overall | ~$38M | $35.9M | 2025 |
| Bijan Robinson | Falcons | #8 Overall | ~$25M | $21.9M | 2023 |
| Adrian Peterson | Vikings | #7 Overall | $40.5M | Not Guaranteed | 2007 |
What Does Love Plan to Do With the Money?
Here is where it gets genuinely refreshing. Most rookie millionaires talk about cars, houses, and jewelry. Love told Front Office Sports he plans on saving every dollar of his NFL contract. “I’m not spending it on anything, I’m saving it,” he said. “I’m saving it, I’m putting it all away.” He did add that he has plans for his marketing and endorsement money — that is what he plans to spend.
For a 20-year-old about to receive a $33 million signing bonus, that kind of financial discipline is remarkable — and it says a lot about who Jeremiyah Love is as a person.
The Controversy: Was Drafting a Running Back at No. 3 a Mistake?
Not everyone is celebrating. The debate over running back value in the NFL Draft exploded the moment the Cardinals made their pick.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano warned Arizona about “wasting” Love’s $52.5 million rookie contract, arguing in a post-draft article that the Cardinals “blew it” by picking him at third overall. “There is no question that Love is a wonderful player who, on talent alone, deserves to be picked this high,” Graziano wrote. “The reason this is even a debate is that Love plays running back.”
The counterargument is equally compelling. Arizona finished second-to-last in the NFL in rushing yards per game last season, averaging just 93.1 yards per game — ahead of only the Las Vegas Raiders. The Cardinals needed a ground game desperately, and they went out and got arguably the best running back prospect in years to fix it.
Love is the first running back selected inside the top five of the draft since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 overall in 2018 — an eight-year gap that tells you everything about how the league has historically viewed the position. Whether this pick signals a genuine reassessment of running back value in the draft, or simply reflects one extraordinary talent arriving at the right time, will be a storyline that follows Love throughout his entire NFL career.
Who Is Jeremiyah Love? The Full Story
Before the draft, before the contract, before any of this — there is the kid from St. Louis, Missouri, who was always built for something special.
Jeremiyah Darnell Love was born on May 31, 2005, in the Walnut Park neighborhood of St. Louis. His mother, L’Tonya, served as a sergeant with the St. Louis Police Department. His father, Jason, is an Army veteran who coached him in youth football — the first person to put the ball in his hands and teach him what to do with it.
He attended Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis, where he was a three-sport athlete in football, basketball, and track and field. In track, he won a Missouri Class 5 state championship in the 100-meter dash as a sophomore with a time of 10.76 seconds. That speed is not a narrative — it is certified at the state level before he ever ran a 40-yard dash for an NFL scout.
He led Christian Brothers to back-to-back Class 6 state championships in his junior and senior years, won Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior, and chose Notre Dame over Texas A&M, Michigan, Alabama, and Oregon. He was 17 years old when he enrolled.
The Notre Dame Career: Three Years, Zero Missed Games, Absolute Domination
Love did not miss a single game across his entire college career as Notre Dame finished a combined 34-7 during his three seasons with the program.
Year 1 (2023): Love played all 13 games for the Fighting Irish, rushing for 385 yards and one touchdown on 71 carries.
Year 2 (2024): 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, including a school-record 13 consecutive games with a rushing touchdown. He helped the Fighting Irish win three College Football Playoff games before a runner-up finish in the national championship game.
Year 3 (2025): Love rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns on 199 carries, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. He added 27 receptions for 280 yards and three more touchdowns, finishing with 1,652 yards from scrimmage. He broke Notre Dame’s program record with 21 total touchdowns in a single season.
He was a Heisman Trophy finalist, won the Doak Walker Award — the first Notre Dame player ever to do so — and earned unanimous All-American honors.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman put it best: “Great players like Jeremiyah Love make coaches look really good. He is a unicorn. He is as talented and gifted an athlete as I’ve ever been around. I think he could be an elite wide receiver. He could be an elite DB. He’s just gifted with a unique skill set.”
What Kind of NFL Player Will He Be?
NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein described Love as a “three-phase running back capable of stressing defenses with big-play speed and untapped pass-catching value.” Zierlein added: “Love 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. Outstanding speed erases pursuit angles to the corner and helps him pull away from tacklers once he opens his gait.”
Even Saquon Barkley — whose rookie record Love just broke — weighed in. Barkley publicly stated he is a big fan of Love, which is about as strong an endorsement as a young running back can receive.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is Jeremiyah Love’s rookie contract worth?
Love signed a four-year, $50.5 million fully guaranteed rookie deal with the Arizona Cardinals. His signing bonus is $33.2 million. Over The Cap projects the total contract value at $53.9 million.
Is Jeremiyah Love’s contract the largest for a running back in NFL history?
Yes — in terms of guaranteed money. His $50.5 million fully guaranteed contract surpasses Saquon Barkley’s $36 million guaranteed rookie deal from 2018, making it the largest fully guaranteed deal ever given to an NFL running back.
Where was Jeremiyah Love drafted?
Love was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft — making him the highest-drafted running back since Saquon Barkley went No. 2 in 2018.
What college did Jeremiyah Love attend?
Love played three seasons at Notre Dame, where he rushed for 2,882 career yards and 36 touchdowns without missing a single game.
How old is Jeremiyah Love?
Love was born on May 31, 2005, making him just 20 years old at the time of the 2026 NFL Draft.
What awards did Love win in college?
Love won the Doak Walker Award (best college running back) in 2025 — the first Notre Dame player in history to win the award — along with unanimous All-American honors and a Heisman Trophy finalist nomination.
What did Love say about his contract money?
In a widely shared video, Love said he plans to save his entire NFL contract and only spend his marketing and endorsement money.