Iowa Quarterback Cade McNamara Will "Hopefully Be Back Next Week"

And the state of Iowa breathes a sigh of relief.

After going down with a non-contact injury to his right leg during the Kids' Day open practice last week, Hawkeyes starting quarterback Cade McNamara is expected to return to practice next week. The news came from the Big Ten Network's feature on Iowa training camp on Thursday.

Before the full feature ran on the network, BTN's Rick Pizzo shared the news early on in the day on the network.

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Viewers of the program heard it straight from Kirk Ferentz's mouth during a one-on-one interview with BTN's Dave Revsine: "It's a tissue issue, so he'll be back hopefully sometime next week. I can't predict that -- we'll take it week by week, but he'll be back."

Though the statement wasn't exactly definitive, it remains music to the ears of every Iowa fan. Ferentz's comments suggest that McNamara should be good to go in week one versus Utah State September 2.

The statement was similar to what we heard immediately following the open practice, where Ferentz said that he was "not alarmed," regarding his starting quarterback's injury, though today's news is more specific.

Viewers also got a look at starting defensive tackle Noah Shannon and his return to practice after sitting out with a shoulder injury, as the senior ran through drills. His status and availability are still up in the air currently, as the state of Iowa's sports gambling investigation remains ongoing.