Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara released a statement Friday slamming the “100% false” media reports that suggested he had thrown his final pass for the Hawkeyes.
McNamara has been sidelined since sustaining a concussion during the Oct. 26 win against Northwestern.
Backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan has started the last two games for the Hawkeyes (6-4, 4-3 Big Ten) but is out with an ankle injury for Saturday’s game at Maryland (4-6, 1-6).
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said earlier this week that Jackson Stratton will be the likely starter against the Terrapins if McNamara is unavailable.
McNamara’s cloudy status prompted speculation on a podcast this week that he was “not mentally ready to play.” The podcast hosts from the Des Moines Register and The Athletic also suggested that McNamara — who played three years at Michigan (2020-22) before transferring to Iowa — is not “fit to play quarterback in the Big Ten right now.”
“We don’t want to bury his career yet, but it does seem like that interception against Northwestern was his last snap as a Hawkeye,” Leistikow said.
McNamara, who passed for 1,017 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games this season, released a statement updating his current status.
“My status is the same as it’s always been — a proud member of this football team,” he said.
McNamara said he has not yet been cleared to play. He said he was cleared to practice on Sunday but suffered an “adverse reaction” and was unable to practice this week and therefore unable to travel with the team to 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 frequently as possible,” McNamara said. “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.”
Including his time with the Wolverines, McNamara has completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 4,703 yards with 31 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 34 games.
