In the latest setback for embattled sixth-year quarterback Cade McNamara, the injured Iowa signal-caller announced on social media on Friday afternoon that he is not traveling with the team to the Maryland game on Saturday.
Nonetheless, and prompted by what he termed "individuals in the media circulating rumors," McNamara added that he remains a "proud member of this football team" and intends to return to action against Nebraska next Friday, in Iowa's regular-season finale at Kinnick Stadium.
McNamara suffered a concussion in Iowa's victory over Northwestern and did not travel to the team's loss at UCLA two weeks ago. Brendan Sullivan took over the starting QB role in McNamara's absence, but suffered an ankle injury in that loss to the Bruins, ending his regular season.
"It has come to my attention that there are members in the media circulating rumors about my current status on the Iowa Football Team," McNamara writes. "These are ridiculous accusations and 100% false. My status is the same as it's always been- a proud member of this football team."
"I suffered a concussion versus Northwestern and have been doing everything in my power to get back on the field," McNamara's statement continues. "I have NOT been cleared to play yet. I was cleared to participate in practice this past Sunday but had an adverse reaction which is common for someone coming out of protocol. I have been lifting and attending meetings as much as possible but have not physically participated in practice Monday through Thursday of this week. Because of this, I am unable to travel and participate this weekend at Maryland."
"I have been working with the University of Iowa doctors and trainers, a concussion specialist focused on vision training, as well as engaging in hyperbaric treatments as frequent as possible. I have every intention to play versus Nebraska next Friday night and I am confident that my teammates will return from Maryland with a win. Go Hawks!"
The Iowa football program released a statement Friday evening as well. "The decision of whether a student-athlete can compete after sustaining an injury is made by the medical team," said the statement. "It is not uncommon following a concussion for an athlete to be cleared to practice but then not compete. Recovering from a concussion is a step-by-step process and there can be setbacks."
"Cade McNamara has not been cleared to play against Maryland," the statement continues. "His status was a topic of discussion during Tuesday’s weekly news conference. In reviewing the transcript and the Q & A, Coach Ferentz misstated that Cade had been cleared to play, he had been cleared to practice."
While McNamara doesn't mention any media members by name, the most prominent source of speculation on McNamara's future with the program was a recent Legends & Leaders podcast episode with Chad Leistikow and Scott Dochterman, two of the most tenured and connected members of the Iowa football beat, saying that McNamara had likely thrown his last pass as an Iowa Hawkeye.
"Does Cade play anymore, is he a Hawkeye anymore?" asked Dochterman rhetorically. "To me it seems pretty clear that this is the end of the road with Cade McNamara as quarterback for Iowa."
Leistikow, for what it's worth, said on BlueSky that he was not reporting McNamara had left the team, but did say on the podcast, which was released on Thursday, that "it'll be interesting to see if he travels [to Maryland]."
McNamara had been listed as starting quarterback on Monday's depth chart coming off the bye week, though by Tuesday head coach Kirk Ferentz had already declared walk-on transfer Jackson Stratton the likely starter and Logan Jones was (for the second game in McNamara's stead) one of the four team captains.
"I wrote that [depth chart] on Sunday," said Ferentz. "[McNamara] practiced on Sunday. Everything is cloudy right now. That's kind of our forecast. It clearly is cloudy right now. Everything is."
McNamara's return to the gridiron from two consecutive season-ending knee injuries has been inconsistent at best; while clearly better on his feet than last season, McNamara's production hasn't caught up to his physical progress. In eight games this season, McNamara has completed 60.5% of his passes for 1,017 yards (127 yards per game), six touchdowns and five interceptions, for a modest passer rating of 115.8.
McNamara's last pass before exoting the Northwestern game was a pick-six in the 40-14 win over the Wildcats, prompting a chorus of boos from Kinnick Stadium before Sullivan was inserted as part of a rotation plan and stayed in out of necessity.
DEPTH CHART IMPACT
McNamara's return, should it come to fruition, would be an immense relief for a comically beleaguered QB room. Stratton, though once a four-star Washington commit turned Colorado State backup turned Iowa walk-on, is effectively the only healthy full-time quarterback on the Iowa roster right now.
Last season's early departures included starter Deacon Hill to D-II Utah Tech, sophomore Joe Labas to Central Michigan and walk-on Tommy Poholsky to, coincidentally, Colorado State.
Incoming transfer Sullivan is out due to his ankle injury, true freshman James Resar moved to wide receiver and then suffered a leg injury midseason, and redshirt freshman Marco Lainez is only a couple weeks removed from thumb surgery. While Ferentz did say Tuesday that Lainez was already practicing again, his clearance in anything but the most emergency of capacities seems dubious at best.
Freshman walk-on safety Kyler Gerardy of Eldridge, Iowa, and junior walk-on running back Max White are among Iowa's true emergency options at QB currently occupying other positions. Gerardy was a prep quarterback for North Scott, though White did not play QB at Cedar Rapids Kennedy.
