Former Iowa football QB earns Titans rookie mini-camp invite

TL;DR

Cade McNamara, former Iowa QB, receives a rookie mini-camp invite from the Tennessee Titans after going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft. His college career was marred by injuries and NCAA penalties affecting Iowa's football program.

Key points

Cade McNamara received a mini-camp invite from the Tennessee Titans
He went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft
McNamara's college career was affected by injuries and NCAA penalties
Iowa football vacated four wins due to NCAA violations
McNamara set a single-season record at East Tennessee State

Cade McNamaraTennessee TitansIowa HawkeyesEast Tennessee State Buccaneers

After going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft this past weekend, the Tennessee Titans have extended a rookie mini-camp invitation to former Iowa football starting quarterback Cade McNamara.

Despite playing in just 13 games across his two seasons with the Hawkeyes due to a variety of injuries, McNamara completed 150-of-262 passes (57.3%) for 1,522 yards and 10 touchdowns against eight interceptions.

However, McNamara's legacy in the minds of many Hawkeye fans has been tarnished after the NCAA's recent penalties stemming from McNamara's transfer portal recruitment to Iowa. Iowa football was forced to vacate four wins, received one year of probation, a financial penalty of $25,000 and several other recruiting restrictions due to imperissible contact.

Following his two years at Iowa, McNamara transferred to East Tennessee State, where he passed for 1,283 yards and seven touchdowns against six interceptions in eight games played for the Buccaneers. McNamara's completion percentage (67.0%) also broke East Tennessee State's single-season record.

McNamara's best collegiate season came at Michigan in 2021, where he passed for 2,576 yards and 15 touchdowns. McNamara led Michigan to a Big Ten Championship game win over Iowa and to the College Football Playoff.

Q&A

Why did Cade McNamara go undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft?

Cade McNamara went undrafted primarily due to his limited playing time caused by injuries during his two seasons at Iowa.

What NCAA penalties did Iowa football face related to Cade McNamara?

Iowa football was forced to vacate four wins, received a year of probation, a $25,000 financial penalty, and faced several recruiting restrictions due to impermissible contact during McNamara's recruitment.

What were Cade McNamara's statistics at East Tennessee State?

At East Tennessee State, McNamara passed for 1,283 yards and seven touchdowns with a completion percentage of 67.0%, breaking the school's single-season record.