Cade McNamara Injury News & Updates

McNamara confirmed that he will return for the 2024 season, he announced on his personal Twitter account on Wednesday night.

McNamara was already reported to be planning a return to Iowa City next year, but now the signal caller has made it official. Before tearing his ACL against Michigan, McNamara had a moderate start to the season for the Hawkeyes, tossing for 505 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions in five total games.

McNamara tore his left ACL and is officially out for Iowa's 2023 season, Chad Leistikow of the Des Moines Register reports.

According to David Eickholt of 247Sports.com, Iowa's football team will try to have McNamara at 100 percent by the summer. The senior has already confirmed that he will be re-joining Iowa in 2024. Assuming all goes well with his recovery, McNamara will have one last chance to show what he can do as a starting quarterback at the collegiate level.

McNamara (knee) will use his extra season of eligibility, David Eickholt of 247Sports.com reports.

McNamara, currently a senior, had his 2023 season jeopardized after suffering a knee injury Saturday against Michigan State. Thus, McNamara's next decision was whether or not he would use his remaining season of collegiate eligibility. Not only will McNamara use what is left of it, but he will also return for a second season with Iowa, whom the injured quarterback logged 505 yards and four touchdowns for this year.

McNamara is likely to sit out the Hawkeyes' 2023 season because of a knee injury, David Eickholt of 247Sports.com reports.

It is looking like the 2023 Hawkeyes will be without their veteran quarterback after he suffered an injury to his left knee Saturday against Michigan State. Now, the senior must make a choice whether or not he uses his extra year of eligibility remaining. As for the Hawkeyes, they are expected to continue rolling with Deacon Hill as their No. 1 option. Even with a transfer to Iowa, McNamara continues to be limited in some regard, having played more than five games only once across his four seasons of college football. He will finish 2023 having completed 46-of-90 passes for 505 yards and four touchdowns.

McNamara (lower body) is not listed on the depth chart for Iowa's game Saturday against Purdue, Tyler Tachman of the Des Moines Register reports.

It appears McNamara's lower-body injury is bad enough that he will have to sit out Iowa's first game of October. While that is not for certain, it is undoubtedly not promising for his availability during Week 6. And if the depth chart's listing comes to fruition, Deacon Hill will be the Hawkeyes' starting quarterback Saturday against Purdue.

McNamara (lower body) is unlikely to return to Saturday's matchup with Michigan State, Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com reports.

McNamara is reportedly doubtful to return against the Spartans after he was helped off the field early in the first quarter. Deacon Hill appears likely to finish out the game for the Hawkeyes.

McNamara (leg) was assisted off the field by trainers after suffering an apparent left leg injury, Chris Solari of the Detroit Free Press reports.

McNamara was helped off the field on Iowa's second drive of the game, and he was unable to put any pressure on his left leg. It remains to be seen if the senior quarterback will be able to re-enter the contest.

McNamara was 5-for-14 passing for 42 yards during Saturday's 31-0 defeat to Penn State.

McNamara registered his worst performance as a Hawkeye. The Michigan transfer was expected to provide a boost for this offense after it ranked as one of the worst unit's in the FBS last season. Yet, Iowa still seems to have completely bottomed out with only 132 total yards gained against Penn State's elite defense. McNamara's inability to lift this talent-deficient unit will ruin his fantasy value moving forward.

McNamara completed 9 of 19 passes for 103 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions during Saturday's 41-10 victory versus Western Michigan. He also had five rushes for -33 yards.

McNamara has not been very impressive since stepping in as Iowa's starting quarterback Week 1, and he seems to have struggled even more without his best pass-catcher Luke Lachey, as the tight end likely suffered a season-ending leg injury versus Western Michigan. Iowa's receiving corps was already subpar entering the season, so McNamara's already dispensable fantasy value could be even lower moving forward. The senior quarterback will now face his toughest test yet when the Hawkeyes take on a dominant Penn State defense this coming Saturday in Happy Valley.

McNamara (undisclosed) is in full uniform and participating in warmups ahead of Saturday's game versus Iowa State, John Steppe of The Gazette reports.

McNamara was listed as questionable on the availability report, but it seems like he'll be under center for the Hawkeyes again as they pursue a 2-0 start to the 2023 campaign. McNamara opened the season last week with a pair of touchdown passes against Utah State.

McNamara has been officially listed as questionable for Saturday's game versus Iowa State.

McNamara held the same designation last week but wound up playing, so this designation shouldn't be overly concerning. Still, it will be worth ensuring the signal-caller warms up as expected ahead of the Cy-Hawk Showdown.

McNamara was 17-for-30 passing for 191 yards and two touchdowns during Saturday's 24-14 victory against Utah State.

McNamara was expected to provide much more consistency to what was a dreadful offense for Iowa in 2022, and he did just that Week 1. The Michigan transfer established an immediate connection with burgeoning star tight end Lukey Lachey (seven receptions, nine targets, 73 yards) while also connecting with fellow Wolverines transfer Erick All for a three-yard passing touchdown in the first quarter. McNamara is unlikely to take the Hawkeyes' passing game to a prolific level this season, so his ultimate fantasy value will be tied to how many touchdowns he can accrue in an offense that has traditionally featured tight ends and the running game. As a result, he should be considered a qualified fill-in option for fantasy squads in need of a weekly replacement at quarterback.

McNamara (quadriceps) is set to play today and make his Iowa debut against Utah State, Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com reports.

The senior is set to make his Iowa debut Saturday against Utah State after returning to practice with a quad injury that listed him as questionable earlier in the week. The transfer from Michigan threw for 2,576 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2021, but only played in three games last season.

McNamara (quadriceps) is expected to play against Utah State on Saturday, David Eickholt of 247Sports.com reports.

Barring any setbacks from now until Saturday, Iowa will have McNamara as the team's starting quarterback in Week 1. The senior will look to make an immediate impact with his new Big Ten school. McNamara saw limited in action in 2022 but showed what he could do the year prior, having logged 210 completions for 2,576 yards and 15 touchdowns. He can begin reaching that quota in Week 1 if available Saturday. But if not, Deacon Hill is expected to take his place.

McNamara (quadriceps) was medically cleared Tuesday but is still questionable for Iowa's game Saturday against Utah State, David Eickholt of 247Sports.com reports.

Despite receiving medical clearance, Iowa's head coach Kirk Ferentz still suggests McNamara's status is questionable and wants to see how the quarterback responds over the next few days before playing Utah State. The probability of McNamara playing is trending upward, but there is still a slight chance he does not start, which would likely make Deacon Hill the starter instead.

McNamara (quadriceps) remains questionable for Iowa's game Saturday against Utah State, David Eickholt of 247Sports.com reports.

McNamara has not been a full participant during Iowa's latest practice but did partake in most of it. The quarterback himself has said it is up to Iowa's coaches and medical team if he plays Saturday. If unable then, Deacon Hill is expected to be the starting QB instead.

McNamara (quadriceps) participated in Saturday's practice, David Eickholt of 247sports.com reports.

After missing the last few weeks of practice with a quadriceps strain, McNamara has returned to practice a week ahead of Iowa's season opener. The senior quarterback is set to start against Utah State next Saturday and will look to have a bounce-back 2023 after making just three appearances in 2022.

Coach Kirk Ferentz said he's optimistic that McNamara (quad) will start Week 1 even though he hasn't returned to practice, David Eickholt of 247Sports.com reports.

McNamara suffered an quadriceps strain earlier in fall camp and has not returned to practice. Coach Ferentz noted that he could return at the end of this week or next week, however. Backup quarterback Joe Labas is also dealing with an injury in camp as well.

McNamara is hoping to return next week, Dave Revsine of Big Ten Network reports.

McNamara was spotted walking around practice on Friday. The team, along with McNamara, are hopeful that the quarterback will be able to make his return to the practice field next week. With about two-weeks until the Hawkeyes kickoff their 2023 campaign, it looks like McNamara will be back to full speed well within time.

McNamara appears to have a quadriceps strain that is not a serious injury, David Eickholt of 247Sports.com reports.

McNamara suffered the quadriceps strain during Iowa's team practice Saturday. The injury was close to his knee, which he underwent surgery for in November 2022, hence the significant concern for his status. However, McNamara's surgically repaired knee is fine, and the Hawkeyes believe he will only miss some of future practices. Considering he returned to the field Saturday and walked without assistance or a limp post-practice, his future practice participation is expected to be more imminent than not.

McNamara left Saturday's practice early and would return later without pads on, David Eickholt of 247Sports.com reports.

It's unclear how serious McNamara's injury is, but his status for Week 1 against Utah State on Sept. 2 is now in question. The senior quarterback completed 14-of-25 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown in three games for Michigan in 2022 before transferring to Iowa. Joe Labas (undisclosed) and Deacon Hill will be candidates for the starting job if McNamara is sidelined for an extended period.

McNamara has been "slinging it" during Iowa's first few practices, David Eikholt of 247sports reports.

McNamara, who joined the Hawkeyes from Michigan in the offseason, has gotten off to a hot start in practice, and sources tell David Eikholt that McNamara is constantly making the right decisions. A knee injury kept him out of 11-on-11 drills earlier this spring, but he now looks set to lead the Hawkeyes into the fall and possibly improve an offense that has struggled in recent seasons.

McNamara committed to transfer to Iowa on Thursday, Pete Thamel of ESPN.com reports.

A question that didn't take long to answer, McNamara is reportedly joining the Hawkeyes after entering the transfer portal from Michigan on Monday. McNamara ultimately lost his gig as one of the Wolverines' rotational quarterbacks when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 3, after he had served as Michigan's primary starter the campaign prior. With up to two years of remaining eligibility, the 6-foot-1 signal caller is expected to be atop Iowa's depth chart given the inconsistency concerns at the position this season with Spencer Petras under center.

McNamara entered the transfer portal Monday, Chris Hummer of 247Sports.com reports.

McNamara began the 2022-23 campaign in a quarterback rotation with J.J. McCarthy, Alan Bowman and Davis Warren, but the 206-pounder suffered a season-ending knee injury during the Wolverines' Week 3 matchup versus Connecticut and has since publicized his intention to play elsewhere for his final collegiate season. In 21 career games played at Michigan, McNamara has recorded 3.181 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions in that span. He also ran in two scores in that stretch.

McNamara revealed Thursday that he had surgery on his right knee and won't play again this year, Aaron McMann of MLive reports.

McNamara has not played since exiting early in a win over UConn in Week 3. Initially, coach Jim Harbaugh sounded optimistic about his chances to return at some point this season, but it turns out McNamara required surgery to fix the issue. The senior quarterback will have another year of eligibility remaining, and it remains to be seen if that will be spent with the Wolverines or another program after he lost his starting job to J.J. McCarthy.

McNamara (undisclosed) did not travel with the team for Saturday's game versus Indiana, Clayton Sayfie of TheWolverine.com reports.

McNamara will now miss three consecutive games. J.J. McCarthy will continue to be the starting quarterback with McNamara out.

McNamara won't suit up this Saturday against Iowa, Aaron McMann of mlive.com reports.

After being out for the last two weeks, McNamara is still not physically ready to suit up for the Wolverines. There's some optimism amongst the coaching staff that he'll return by the end of the season. As of right now, Alan Bowman or Davis Warren will fill up the backup role if something happens to McCarthy.

McNamara will miss "a few weeks" after suffering an injury Saturday against Connecticut, Chris Balas of The Wolverine.com reports.

McNamara was on the receiving end of a big hit at the end of the first half of Saturday's game and did not return to the sidelines. J.J. McCarthy will continue to start for the Wolverines and Alan Bowman may serve as the backup. Michigan opens Big Ten play against Maryland in Week 4.

McNamara was noticeably not with the team on the sidelines after taking a big hit late in the first half, Angelique S. Chengelis of The Detroit News reports.

McNamara was awarded some work in the first half with the Wolverines already having built a massive lead over UConn. The decision backfired, however, as he appeared to suffer an injury while absorbing a big hit on a scramble. The nature of his injury is currently unclear, however, it seems as if he won't return Saturday with third-string quarterback Davis Warren currently in the game.

McNamara went 9-of-18 passing for 136 yards and one touchdown in Saturday's 51-7 victory over Colorado State.

McNamara's role as a passer was largely limited in Saturday's win as the Wolverines primarily relied on quick passes and the run game. Nearly half of the senior signal-caller's passing yards came from one 61-yard screen-pass touchdown thrown to Roman Wilson in the first quarter. McNamara was eventually relieved midway through the third quarter by sophomore J.J. McCarthy, who is scheduled to take over Michigan's starting duties during next week's matchup against Hawaii on Sept. 10.

McNamara will start the season opener against Western Michigan but the team plans to start J.J. McCarthy in Week 2.

Michigan will let its quarterback competition roll into regular season play as coach Jim Harbaugh made a statement Saturday announcing they will have two different starting quarterbacks for the first two games. McNamara will get to make the first impression while McCarthy gets the next chance. Michigan will determine its starter for Week 3, and possibly beyond, after both McNamara and McCarthy get to audition in the opening two games.

McNamara is still battling J.J. McCarthy for the starting quarterback spot and the competition could continue into the season, 247Sports.com reports.

There is very little separation between McNamara and J.J. McCarthy in the quarterback race, and coach Harbaugh has alluded to the possibility of having a rotation early on in the season. McNamara had an impressive season in 2021, throwing 210 completions for 2,576 yards and 15 touchdowns, but he will have to prove himself heading into the regular season if he wants to reclaim the QB1 spot.

McNamara is equally splitting practice reps and has not secured the starting QB position, Trevor Woods of Maize N Brew reports.

McNamara is splitting reps equally with J.J. McCarthy and will be working hard in fall camp to try and reclaim his title of QB1. Last season McNamara had a successful season and threw for 2,576 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions, but this is not guaranteeing him a starting position in 2022.

McNamara completed 13 of 19 passes for 159 yards and an interception against Ohio State and added a nine-yard rush.

Michigan leaned on the ground game Saturday and didn't ask McNamara to do much against Ohio State's secondary, but McNamar was effective when he did drop back. He completed nearly 70 percent of his passes with an 8.4 YPA, though he did turn the ball over while failing to throw a touchdown for the first time since Week 8. McNamara and the Wolverines get another tough test Saturday against Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game.

McNamara completed 21 of 28 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns against Maryland.

McNamara has been steady down the stretch, having completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 1,027 yards with a 9:1 TD:INT over his last four games. He had five passing touchdowns in seven games prior to this hot streak. McNamara is playing his best football of the year going into the biggest game of the year Saturday against Ohio State.

McNamara went 10 of 18 for 168 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions Saturday against Indiana.

Saturday's outing was more in line with McNamara's season-long performance as he attempted fewer than 20 passes for the fifth time and amassed fewer than 200 passing yards for the seventh time. His 383-yard outing against Michigan State will likely stand out as an outlier than a sign of things to come as Michigan travels to Penn State in Week 11.

McNamara completed 28 of 44 passes for 383 yards and two touchdowns in the game versus Michigan State on Saturday. He also threw one interception.

McNamara finally showed that he can support a true passing attack at the college level. He, unfortunately, made one costly mistake with his interception but besides that he looked poised and threw the ball well. Michigan did end up losing the game but should feel good about the future of their signal-caller.

McNamara completed 20 of 27 passes for 129 yards in the game versus Northwestern on Saturday.

The junior continues to fill a game manager for Michigan with his main job being to hand the ball off and not turn the ball over. The Michigan coaching staff clearly don't trust McNamara and this may show that he is on a short leash.

McNamara reeled in 22 of 38 passes for 255 yards and one interception in the game versus Nebraska on Saturday. He also rushed twice for a loss of 15 yards.

McNamara had his biggest yardage total of the season but was unable to toss any scores, leaving his score total quite low. The junior has proved time and time again that he has little upside in this run-heavy offense.

McNamara completed 17 of 28 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns in the game versus Wisconsin on Saturday. He also rushed the ball twice for six yards.

The junior had one of his best games this Saturday as he went up against a respectable Wisconsin defense. McNamara was turnover-free and posted a QBR of 88.7, which is one of his better lines this season. Michigan still seems overly reliant on the run game no matter what which severely caps McNamara's upside.

McNamara completed nine of 16 passes for 163 yards and carried the ball three times for five yards in the game versus Rutgers on Saturday.

The junior once again was used sparingly in the Michigan offense. Coach Jim Harbough leaned on the running game to score Michigan's points. The offense only had 16 passing attempts but ran the ball 38 times. This combination makes it almost impossible for Mcnamara to put up big points.

Mcnamara completed eight of 11 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown in the game versus Northern Illinois on Saturday. He also rushed the ball twice for a loss of seven yards.

The junior was not asked to do much in the game as Michigan ran the ball a whopping 48 times compared to just 11 passing attempts for McNamara. Michigan's huge reliance on the run game shows that they don't trust the junior quarterback to make good decisions and make the right plays. On a positive note, McNamara did well with his attempts averaging 17.4 yards per attempt.

McNamara completed seven of 15 passes for 44 yards and rushed three times for three yards in the 31-10 win over Washington on Saturday.

The Michigan offense thrived despite McNamara's dismal performance. The Wolverines relied heavily on the rushing game and that gameplan won't hold up against more difficult opponents. If McNamara does not show improvement in the passing game soon, then coach Jim Harbaugh will likely look for a different player to lead the team under center.

McNamara completed nine of 11 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns in the 47-14 win over Western Michigan on Saturday. He also had one rush for two yards.

The junior wasn't asked to do too much as Michigan relied on the rushing game, however when called upon, McNamara delivered completing over 80 percent of his passes. The Michigan quarterback will likely have much better performances when the team faces a stronger opponent that they can't just beat with rushing.

McNamara has been named the starter for Michigan, Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com reports.

Michigan has some talent in its quarterback room but McNamara stood out above the rest and will start for the Wolverines. McNamara looked good late in the 2020 season with a 60.6 percent completion rate along with five touchdowns and no picks. He'll open the season against Western Michigan.

McNamara remains at the head of the QB depth chart with just three weeks remaining until the opener versus Western Michigan, Aaron McMann of MLive.com reports.

Coach Jim Harbaugh indicated that both McNamara and J.J. McCarthy have gotten off to fast starts in camp, suggesting that the suspected challenger in Texas Tech transfer Alan Bowman may not even be his closest competitor. Given that information, it certainly appears to be trending towards McNamara starting under center come Week 1, with the backup battle then becoming an interesting one as well.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh said that McNamara is the No. 1 quarterback going into fall camp, Austin Meek of The Athletic reports.

McNamara has been able to hold off Texas Tech transfer Alan Bowman and freshman J.J. McCarthy to this point. McNamara went 43-for-71 last season for 425 yards and five touchdowns. Coach Harbaugh appears confident that McNamara is his guy and that will likely stand true Week 1 against Western Michigan.

Saturday's game between Michigan and Ohio State has been cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reports.

Michigan will cancel its second straight game as it continues to battle an elevated number of COVID-19 positive cases. The Wolverines currently do not have another game on their schedule the rest of the season. We'll have to wait and see if the school decides to add another game or whether they just pack it in for the year.

Michigan's game against Maryland scheduled for Saturday has been canceled amid COVID-19 issues at Michigan, Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reports.

McNamara and the Wolverines will not play Saturday as Michigan is currently dealing with COVID issues within the program, though not specifically with the signal-caller. Michigan's next chance to play comes Dec. 12 against Ohio State, but the Wolverines will need to have its COVID numbers dissipate for that game to be played.

McNamara's shoulder tightened up late in Saturday's loss to Penn State, Angelique S. Chengelis of The Detroit News reports.

McNamara suffered a shoulder injury early in Saturday's game but was able to return. However, he was replaced by Joe Milton for a second time late in the fourth quarter. McNamara's level of participation in practice will be monitored throughout the week in the lead-up to Michigan's game against Maryland on Dec. 5.

McNamara (shoulder) returned to the field in Saturday's game against Penn State, Angelique S. Chengelis of The Detroit News reports.

McNamara suffered an apparent right shoulder injury earlier in the game that forced him to go to the locker room, but he later threw warmup passes on the sidelines. He returned to the game late in the second quarter as the Wolverines attempt to come back against the Nittany Lions.

McNamara (shoulder) has come out of the locker room and is warming up on the sidelines, Austin Meek of The Athletic reports.

Joe Milton remains in the game, but McNamara is back on the Michigan sidelines with his helmet on and throwing warmup passes. He could be available to return, but it is still Milton behind center for now.

McNamara is going back to the Michigan locker room with an apparent shoulder injury, Austin Meek of The Athletic reports.

Joe Milton is set to enter the game with McNamara banged up. McNamara was checked out by the training staff before being sent to the locker room. It's unclear if McNamara will be able to return to Saturday's action.

McNamara will start Saturday's game against Penn State, Aaron McMann of MLive.com reports.

McNamara will be rewarded his first start this season after leading an inspiring comeback win last Saturday. The true sophomore will look to build off a career performance in which he threw for 260 yards and four touchdowns in an overtime thriller against Rutgers. Assuming he does well, McNamara should have the starting quarterback role locked in moving forward.

McNamara is taking reps with the first-team offense ahead of Saturday's game against Penn State, Aaron McMann of MLive.com reports.

McNamara was rumored to be the starter for Saturday's game, and his usage before the contest appears to confirm the reports. The sophomore has entered in relief over the past two games, and he led the Wolverines to a win over Rutgers last week by completing 75 percent of his passes for 260 yards and four touchdowns.

Teammate Vincent Gray indicated Tuesday that it appears McNamara will start under center Saturday versus Penn State, Angelique S. Chengelis of The Detroit News reports.

McNamara entered in relief for a second straight game Saturday versus Rutgers and led the Wolverines back to a victory over Rutgers in triple overtime. He finished the day with an impressive 75 percent completion percentage for 260 yards and four touchdowns, paving the way for his first career start against Penn State. Barring misinformation from Gray, look for McNamara to open Saturday's contest under center.

McNamara came off the bench to complete 27 of 36 pass attempts for 260 yards and four touchdowns during Saturday's 48-42 win over Rutgers. He also ran the ball four times for four yards and one touchdown.

Joe Milton ultimately got the nod to start the game after competing with McNamara during practice. However, after the Wolverines fell behind 17-0 while Milton failed to lead a scoring drive during the team's first five possessions, they turned to McNamara. The sophomore immediately sparked a touchdown drive and went on to account for five total scores as Michigan prevailed in triple-overtime. No official announcement has been made on who will start under center next Saturday against Penn State, but McNamara appears to be the obvious choice given the life Michigan's offense found when he entered the game.

Coach Jim Harbaugh said that the quarterback competition is open between McNamara and Joe Milton, Tom VanHaaren of ESPN.com reports.

With Joe Milton struggling again last weekend, coach Harbaugh said that both quarterbacks will get work with the starters on offense during practice this week. Milton will probably hold onto the job, but we won't know for sure until later in the week. Michigan will travel to take on Rutgers on Saturday.