Insider Reveals Major Concern For Iowa Hawkeyes QB Cade McNamara

An insider has revealed a major concern for Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara.

Sep 7, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara (12) looks on before the game against the Iowa State Cyclones at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Cade McNamara era has not exactly gotten off to an auspicious start for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and now, some are wondering if McNamara is genuinely the answer at quarterback.

After McNamara put forth a very rough showing in a loss to the Iowa State Cyclones last Saturday, Chad Leistikow of The Des Moines Register has identified a very serious concern for the signal-caller: arm strength.

"And on the arm-strength question, it was very concerning that McNamara underthrew Kaleb Brown on a deep shot in the fourth quarter, and his Hail Mary was woefully short of the end zone," Leistikow wrote.

McNamara went just 13-for-29 with 99 yards and a couple of interceptions in Iowa's 20-19 loss to Iowa State. Through two games overall, he has thrown for 350 yards, three touchdowns and two picks while completing only 56.7 percent of his passes.

Leistikow went on to state that "expectations are lower" for McNamara now than they were when he officially committed to the Hawkeyes as a Michigan Wolverines transfer back in December 2022.

McNamara's debut campaign with Iowa last season ended in disaster, as the 24-year-old tore his ACL five games into the year. During his time on the field in 2023, McNamara wasn't particularly impressive, totaling 505 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptiins while completing 51.1 percent of his throws.

Obviously, McNamara has not lived up to his billing thus far, and it has resulted in some calling for his benching. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz appears set to roll with his signal-caller against Troy this Saturday, but if McNamara struggles again, you have to wonder if Ferentz will make a change as his squad heads into Big Ten conference play.