The Arizona Cardinals made headlines this week, signing rookie running back Jeremiyah Love to a record-breaking contract that has the entire NFL talking. The No. 3 overall pick officially inked his four-year, $53 million fully guaranteed deal on Friday, making it the largest guaranteed contract ever awarded to a running back in league history.

To put that in perspective, consider this: reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, who just led the Seattle Seahawks to a championship, signed a free-agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason worth $43 million over three years—with only $28.7 million guaranteed. Meanwhile, New York Jets star Breece Hall secured $29 million guaranteed on his three-year, $45.8 million extension. Combined, those two veterans have amassed nearly 7,000 rushing yards and 58 touchdowns over the past four seasons. Love? He hasn't even stepped onto an NFL training camp field yet.

The previous record for guaranteed money to a running back belonged to Saquon Barkley, who got $31.8 million guaranteed as the No. 2 pick in 2018. Love's deal shatters that mark, and at $13.3 million per year, he now ranks sixth among all NFL running backs in average annual value, according to OverTheCap.

This isn't a knock on Love's talent—far from it. The former Notre Dame standout was a force in college and is expected to become the centerpiece of Arizona's offense immediately. But it does raise eyebrows that the Cardinals used the third overall pick to secure a running back at a price that already places him among the league's elite earners at his position. Historically, running backs have struggled to command such massive guarantees, making this deal a true game-changer—both for Love and for how teams value the position in the modern NFL.