IOWA CITY, Iowa – Former Michigan football quarterback Cade McNamara will miss the rest of this season after tearing his ACL against Michigan State over the weekend.
NcNamara took over as Michigan’s starter midway through a miserable 2020 season and then helped lead the team to a Big Ten title in 2021. With McNamara at the helm, Michigan beat Ohio State for the first time in a decade and went to the College Football Playoff.
After McNamara lost the starting job to J.J. McCarthy in 2022, he transferred to Iowa with three years of eligibility remaining.
Iowa’s famously terrible offense wasn’t much better even with a proven Big Ten quarterback under center. The Hawkeyes averaged 21.25 points in the first four games.
McNamara got hurt on Iowa’s second drive of the game, with his team leading 3-0. He was seen on the sideline with crutches as Deacon Hill took over at quarterback. A punt return touchdown and a bunch of field goals ultimately lifted the Hawkeyes over the Spartans.
On Tuesday, head coach Kirk Ferentz confirmed McNamara tore the ACL in his left knee and will miss the rest of the 2023 season. He finishes the year with 505 passing yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions while completing 51.1% of his attempts for an average of 5.6 yards.
This is the second major knee injury for McNamara, who missed the entire 2022 Big Ten season at Michigan.
Ferentz said McNamara should be able to return for the start of Iowa’s 2024 season.
