Cade McNamara injury update: Iowa HC shares latest update on QB's knee injury and his return to the field
The Iowa Hawkeyes have been an excellent team, but senior quarterback Cade McNamara has not been able to get off to a hot start. He suffered an injury during Saturday's game against the Michigan State Spartans and we have now found out the extent of the injury.
Let's discuss what happened and what the Iowa Hawkeyes are going to do going forward with McNamara's injury.
Cade McNamara injury update
ESPN's Pete Thamel has reported that the senior quarterback has suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. That means he will be out for the rest of the season and could officially end his collegiate career. The only way that he can return is if he is granted a medical redshirt to return for the 2024 college football season.
It will be interesting to see if he is deemed eligible as the rules for a medical redshirt is that a player cannot participate in more than 30 percent of the season's games.
With Cade McNamara suffering the injury in the team's fifth game, it is very likely the injury will end the career of the Hawkeyes quarterback.
What will the Iowa Hawkeyes do at the quarterback position going forward?
With the injury to Cade McNamara ending his season, the Iowa Hawkeyes have to turn to their backup quarterback in sophomore Deacon Hill. Hill has made some appearances throughout the season but his numbers do not look good as he is just 15-of-35 (42.9 completion percentage) for 164 yards with a passing touchdown and an interception.
He saw the most game action after the injury last week against the Michigan State Spartans as he was 11-of-27 for 115 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Iowa is hoping for more consistency with more snaps and working with the first team as the season continues.
What to expect out of the Hawkeyes for the rest of the season
Despite looking strong with a 4-1 record, they are not moving the ball as well as they would have wanted to. Heading into Week 6 of the college football season, the offense is 103rd with 22.2 points per game and 131st with just 133.8 passing yards per game.
The defense has been dominant as they rank 22nd with just 16.8 points per game allowed and this is going to be the reason they can stay afloat in a tough Big Ten Conference.
However, they are not going to be in contention for the Big Ten Conference Championship as they won't be able to put up the points to win against some of the top teams.
With a conference loss already, it will be difficult to see them with their backup quarterback compete with the likes of Minnesota and Wisconsin for the divisional spot in the conference title game.