Cade McNamara’s winding college football road has led to one last shot at the NFL. After starting at Michigan and losing the starting job to J.J. McCarthy despite taking them to the playoffs in 2021, this guy moved to Iowa and then East Tennessee State. But to go pro, he still needed to get a team, and for now, the Tennessee Titans seem like his only option.

Cade McNamara is off to the NFL, but with undrafted status. But he gained some momentum as the Tennessee Titans invited him to their rookie minicamp. This is a major opportunity for him to showcase his skills and make his place on the team. For now, the QB is already filled with Cam Ward, Will Levis, Mitchell Trubisky, and Hendon Hooker. But it’s always good to have depth to back up the team.

Long before this undrafted turn, McNamara had already earned the locker room’s trust. Michigan voted him a team captain in 2022 after he helped lead the Wolverines to a Big Ten title and a College Football Playoff trip the year before. That background gives this Titans invite a little more weight.

McNamara showed a lot of solid production during his college years. At ETSU, he did at least give evaluators something clean to study. In eight starts, McNamara completed 124 of 185 passes, which is a 67.0% completion rate, for 1,283 yards, seven touchdowns, and six interceptions, steady work that keeps a camp invite from feeling random.

In the next game against Mercer, he delivered one of his best performances. He threw for 398 yards and four touchdowns, which became the second-highest passing total in ETSU history. Throughout the season, McNamara played with steady and accurate passing. He completed at least 61% of his passes in almost every start, showing consistency.

Now, all his skills can really turn things around for him in the minicamp. But let’s not forget that even Thomas Castellanos has been invited to the mini camp by the Titans. So, it’s going to be a close call for McNamara.

The road here was not clean. Injuries and two transfers pushed him far from the Michigan peak, which is exactly why this minicamp matters; it is less about hype now and more about proving he can still steady an offense. After leaving Michigan, McNamara transferred to Iowa, hoping for a fresh start and better results. However, things did not go well there. He struggled with inconsistency and later suffered a season-ending injury in 2023, which slowed down his progress even more.

In 2024, his problems continued. He did not perform well for most of the season, and he got benched in Week 8. These repeated setbacks made his football future more uncertain as he moved closer to his final year of college eligibility.

Later, he transferred again and joined East Tennessee State University. At ETSU, he entered another quarterback competition, this time against Jacolby Criswell for the starting role. The coaches also planned to use both quarterbacks in the early part of the season, which showed that his position was not fully secured. Now, the CFL and UFL can also be another option for him, but if not, then there are still some NFL teams that need a rookie who can develop into a franchise QB later on.

NFL teams that still need a strong QB

There are still some NFL teams that need a long-term QB, and because of their situation, Cade McNamara could still have had a realistic chance as a development or backup quarterback option, not a starter.

The New York Jets used their 2026 draft picks on defense and offense, including players like linebacker David Bailey and tight end Kenyon Sadiq. They did not use their top pick on a quarterback, and although they traded for veteran Geno Smith, they still did not secure a long-term young quarterback from the draft. This means they had experience at QB, but not a young developmental option for the future.

The Cleveland Browns also did not draft a top quarterback in 2026. Instead, they took in players on their offensive line, like Spencer Fano, and wide receiver KC Concepcion. Sure, their QB room has depth with Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Deshaun Watson. But let’s not forget Gabriel is still recovering from injury, and last year, Shedeur Sanders had struggles with completion rate and interceptions. So, the team might need backing.

This is where Cade McNamara can fit in. Now, he can not become a starter right away, but can serve as backup and gain his position over time. Now, let’s wait and see if any one of these teams shows interest in him.