September 3, 2022

Michigan QB Cade McNamara calls Jim Harbaugh’s decision ‘unusual’

Cade McNamara started all 14 games for Michigan in 2021 and in the process, he beat Ohio State, won a Big Ten Championship game over Iowa, and helped lead the Wolverines to their first-ever College Football Playoff.

But despite those accomplishments, head coach Jim Harbaugh did not hand McNamara the keys to the team for the 2022 season. Instead, he made the decision to carry the Wolverines’ quarterback competition between McNamara and J.J. McCarthy into the season with McNamara starting game one against Colorado State and McCarthy getting the no in Week 2 against Hawaii.

The Michigan QB Battle isn't fair to either Cade McNamara or JJ McCarthy

On Saturday, Cade McNamara made his start against Colorado State and he did not exactly make a great case for the starting job at Michigan.

During the game, McNamara completed 9-of-18 passes for 136 yards and a touchdown to go along with no interceptions (there was one dropped interception) as Michigan rolled 51-7 over the Rams.

Following the game, Cade McNamara spoke to reporters and when he was asked about how Jim Harbaugh was handling the Wolverines’ quarterback situation, he did not spit out the company line.

“It was a clean game,” McNamara said of the offense’s performance. “We had one penalty, we had no turnovers. I think there’s some stuff that didn’t go our way. But I thought we handled it pretty well. Building off of this, I think, just kind of like first game stuff.

“I missed a couple targets. We had a couple of drops. I don’t know, it just felt like it looked like a first game on the offensive side of the ball. So we’ve definitely got to clean that up and I’ll be a part of that.”

Michigan QB Cade McNamara calls Jim Harbaugh’s decision ‘unusual’

“I would definitely say it’s pretty unusual,” he said Saturday. “It was kind of a thing that I wasn’t expecting by the end of camp. I thought I had my best camp. I thought I put myself in a good position. That was just a decision that Coach went with.”

“I was confident in the way I performed over camp — definitely felt that way,” he said. “However, it’s just not my decision. So whatever it is, whatever my role is, I’m honored that my teammates recognize me for the role that I have currently. And that’s about it.”

“It’s been fine,” he said. “I think this is sort of something that I’ve been dealing with, whatever part it was in my career. Whether it was before I played, with Joe [Milton], whether it was finally going in, whether it was last season, and now it is this season. I think at this point, I have a callus made on how to deal with these things.”

Nation, who do you think will ultimately win the starting gig for Michigan, Cade McNamara or J.J. McCarthy?

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W.G. Brady is a Detroit-based journalist who has been covering the Detroit sports scene for Detroit Sports Nation for several years. He is in his early 30s and has a wealth of experience in the industry. Throughout his career, W.G. has established himself as a respected and knowledgeable journalist known for his in-depth coverage of the teams and athletes in Detroit. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for sports, W.G. has become a go-to source for fans and readers looking for the latest news and analysis on the Detroit sports scene. He has a good reputation in the sports community and is respected for his unbiased coverage of sports events. W.G. is known for his ability to uncover hidden stories and provide unique perspectives on the teams and athletes he covers. He has a good understanding of the city of Detroit and its sports culture, which he uses to inform his reporting and analysis. He continues to be a respected journalist in the Detroit sports industry.