Iowa Unveils Confusing News on Cade McNamara

The situation with Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara gets stranger and stranger by the day.

Oct 26, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara throws a pass against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes are preparing to face the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday, and while their quarterback situation appeared murky all week, it looks like things have finally been established.

It's looking like Jackson Stratton will be under center for Iowa, as Cade McNamara will not be traveling with the team. The school has released a statement saying that he has not been cleared to play, via Scott Dochterman of The Athletic.

McNamara is still recovering from a concussion he sustained on Oct. 26.

So, what makes this news so confusing?

It's that Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz said earier this week that McNamara had been cleared to play, but that the situation was "cloudy."

But apparently, McNamara had not been medically cleared, which makes Ferentz's deliberation throughout the week all the more peculiar.

Why didn't Ferentz just say that McNamara had not been cleared? That would have made things a heck of a lot easier to comprehend, and everyone would have known Stratton would have been starting.

It certainly doesn't seem like gamesmanship on the part of Ferentz.

The statement from Iowa said that Ferentz "misstated" McNamara's status, but it still seems really weird.

Regardless, the Hawkeyes' circumstances at signal-caller are certainly not enviable. McNamara may very well be done for the season, and we already know that Brendan Sullivan will be sidelined for the remainder of the year due to an ankle injury.

Iowa is 6-4 and is looking to bounce back from an ugly loss against UCLA on Nov. 9, which was the last time the Hawkeyes played.