Insider Drops Bombshell on Iowa's QB Situation

The Iowa Hawkeyes' quarterback situation just got even weirder.

Oct 5, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara (12) drops back to throw against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first quarter at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes' quarterback situation may very well be one of the most mystifying ones in the country at the moment.

Brendan Sullivan is out for the season with an ankle injury. That much we know. But who will take his place?

When Sullivan's injury was first revealed, the general consensus was that Cade McNamara would re-assume his position as Iowa's starting quarterback. But now, it's looking like McNamara—who has been recovering from a concussion he sustained on Oct. 26—may be done with Hawkeyes, period.

During a recent episode of the Legends & Listeners podcast with Chad Leistikow and Scott Dochterman, Dochterman revealed that Kirk Ferentz's hesitance to announce McNamara as the starter for Saturday's game against the Maryland Terrapins isn't just because McNamara isn't physically ready.

It may also be due to the fact that McNamara just isn't there mentally at this stage.

“It will be interesting to see if he travels. Let me put it that way," Dochterman said. "I don’t know what they’ll be able to say. I don’t know 100 percent the truth, but I don’t think that he is mentally ready to play. I think that’s the main reason. He’s just not mentally ready to play, and I don’t think it’s from the concussion."

Dochterman added that "it seems pretty obvious that this is the end of the road with Cade McNamara."

McNamara made eight starts for Iowa this season, throwing for 1,017 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 60.5 percent of his passes.

The 24-year-old transferred over from Michigan after the 2022 campaign and was expected to instantly elevate the Hawkeyes' passing game. Instead, he struggled through five games before suffering a torn ACL.

If it's true that this really is the last stop for McNamara, it certainly was a strange end to his disappointing tenure at Iowa City.

Jackson Stratton would be in line to start against Maryland if McNamara is unavailable.