Bryce

Love

Love tore his ACL in his final game at Stanford in 2019. Washington then selected him in the fourth round of the draft, knowing his rookie season would be lost to the recovery timetable. He made Washington’s final roster in 2020 but was made a healthy scratch for three weeks before landing on IR with a setback in his knee. He did not come off IR and was waived this spring. Love managed to earn solid draft capital despite the redshirt season he faced and has a 2,000-yard season to his name in college. However, going unclaimed on waivers, which would have only cost a team $780K in non-guaranteed money is a bad look for the 23-year-old. He’ll look to earn a name for himself as a depth signing in the summer with a good training camp showing possibly netting him one of 53 roster spots.

Love, the 2017 Heisman runner-up and Doak Walker award winner as the nation’s top running back, tore his ACL in Stanford’s regular season finale in 2019 and has struggled to return to form ever since. Washington took a flyer on him in the fourth round that year but have yet to see him take the field following multiple setbacks. 24 in July, Love is facing long odds to make an active roster out of camp.

It has been exactly two years since the No. 112 overall pick of the 2019 draft played a football game. He suffered a devastating ACL tear at Stanford. Love made the Football Team’s initial 53-man roster but was a “healthy” scratch before landing on injured reserve following a setback. Going on 24, Love is facing increasingly long odds of making NFL noise following his voluminous college usage and subsequent injury.

“The opportunity to get him back on the field is coming soon,” Rivera said. Love was eligible (but unable) to return from injured reserve in Week 7. Antonio Gibson currently leads the team with 84 carries to Peyton Barber’s 38, but Love would merely cannibalize the latter’s early-down workload if he’s able to get cleared for the final month of the season. Gibson remains the option to buy-low on for the stretch run.

Love was inactive the first three weeks and is now dealing with swelling in his knee. He’ll be eligible to come off IR in Week 7. Coach Ron Rivera said he thinks Love can return this season.

Smith, recovering from a string of offseason leg surgeries, has yet to be activated on game day. The same goes for Love, as the Football Team is settled on a backfield of Peyton Barber, Antonio Gibson, and J.D. McKissic. Last week, Gibson took a larger rushing role than he had in Week 1. There’s reasonable expectation his role could grow in Week 3.

Love is a healthy scratch for the second straight week. The Football Team will once again roll with Peyton Barber, Antonio Gibson, and J.D. McKissic in the backfield.

Love being declared inactive is a considerable boost for rookie RB Antonio Gibson, who could be in line for a solid share of the Football Team’s rushing attempts while sharing pass-catching duties with RB J.D. MicKissic. Gibson is an excellent flex option for those who drafted him in the middle rounds.

“The running back group is going to be by committee,” Rivera said. “J.D. [McKissic] we just happened to put on the chart first.” McKissic was listed as Washington’s “starter” on its first unofficial depth chart this week, but that seemed more like veteran treatment than anything else, as McKissic is the elder statesman of this group. Peyton Barber and Bryce Love figure to see work on early downs, with McKissic and rookie Antonio Gibson used in pass-catching and playmaking situations. Gibson is still, by far, our favorite fantasy pick of the litter, and we’d expect one or two to separate themselves from the pack before too long.

Love’s camp showing was one of the reasons Washington released Adrian Peterson. ESPN’s John Keim reported the team feels they can get Love “back to where he was in college” in a couple months, suggesting he’s not fully healthy. Love may start out behind Antonio Gibson and Peyton Barber, but he should find his way into snaps.