Cardinals rookie Jeremiyah Love will miss his first NFL game Sunday against the Rams with an ankle injury

Arizona's top rookie will have to watch his first big road trip from the sideline.

Coach Mike LaFleur said Friday that running back Jeremiyah Love will not play Sunday against the Rams in Los Angeles. Love is dealing with a left ankle injury that has lingered for weeks. It will be the first regular-season game he has missed in the NFL.

Allgeier steps in

Veteran Tyler Allgeier will start in Love's place with Bam Knight behind him. The Cardinals are also expected to bring up Evan Hull from the practice squad as a third option.

LaFleur said there has been no talk of putting Love on injured reserve. The team knew early in the week that Sunday was a long shot. The staff gave Love Wednesday off and planned to reassess him before making the call.

A rookie slowed by his ankles

Love, the No. 3 pick in this year's draft, sprained an ankle in his only preseason game and missed the rest of camp. He aggravated an ankle again during the Week 4 game against the Giants. Last Sunday he played against the Lions but managed only 22 yards on 12 carries. Arizona then held him out of practice all week.

LaFleur said the injury has also kept Love from becoming the receiving threat the team had planned. He called getting the rookie healthy "vital" and said Love's hard cuts are a superpower that his ankle will not let him use right now. The coach expects Love to be a big part of the passing game once he is ready.