By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Don’t blame the players.

Blame the system that caused Miami quarterback Cam Ward to opt out of playing in the second half of the Pop-Tarts Bowl against Iowa State.

Ward shredded the Cyclones in the first half, throwing three touchdown passes and showing why he is considered a likely top five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

But then he watched the second half from the sideline as Iowa State overcame a 10-point deficit to win 42-41 Saturday in Orlando, Florida.

Miami’s passing attack was almost dysfunctional without Ward playing quarterback, and now some are accusing him of quitting on his team and of putting his own personal interests above the team.

That criticism seems unfair and misguided because what if Ward had suffered a serious injury in the bowl game?

He then would have been criticized, scrutinized and second-guessed for playing in a bowl game that didn’t mean very much in the grand scheme of things, and he also probably would have lost a substantial amount of money.

The fact that Ward played in the first half is better than if he hadn’t played at all isn’t it?

It is sort of odd to stop playing at halftime, but so much of what is happening in college sports right now is odd compared to how it used to be.

And when is the right time to opt-out?

If Ward had opted out before the bowl game, he still would have been criticized.

Instead, he played long enough to set a new NCAA Division I record with 158 career touchdown passes.

Some are saying that Ward only played in the bowl game to set the record, and if that is the case, it might seem selfish, but at least he played well and gave his team a chance.

It isn’t Ward’s fault that Miami’s backup quarterback seemed overwhelmed by the circumstances.

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal addressed Ward’s decision after the game, but Cristobal stopped short of saying how he felt about the decision.

“All meetings with players, and decisions like that, we made them in private and we keep them in private,” Cristobal said. “So I’ll prefer not to answer any questions as it relates to that.

“But I know he played his best while he was in there.”

It’s so easy to criticize players for being selfish and disloyal when the critics have no money on the line, and when their team is being hurt by an opt-out.

Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson opted out of playing in the Music City Bowl on Monday, mostly because he doesn’t want to risk being injured after having declared for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Johnson poured his heart, soul and body into the 2024 regular-season as he led the Big Ten in rushing with 1,537 yards and set a UI single-season record 21 rushing touchdowns.

Some might argue that Johnson owes it to Iowa to play in the bowl game, but he really doesn’t, even as a recipient of NIL money.

Johnson owes it to himself to act in his best interest.

He has a chance to make life-changing money, but it will come from playing a violent and dangerous sport.

NFL running backs are always in a race against time because the game takes a serious toll on their bodies.

The reaction to Johnson opting out has mostly been positive and understanding from Iowa fans, and good for them.

The amount of money that can be made in the NFL these days means that opt-outs will continue to happen at what some consider an alarming pace.

And while NIL makes it easier for college athletes to stay in school, its influence only goes so far when an NFL career is in your future.

Kaleb Johnson would have certainly received a nice chunk of NIL money if he had returned to Iowa for his senior season.

But it wouldn’t have been enough to make up for what he would have risked losing if he were injured.

Odds are that Cam Ward would have made it through the second half of the Pop-Tarts Bowl without being injured.

But he apparently decided that it wasn’t worth the risk with so much money on the line, or perhaps his advisors made the decision for him.

Whatever the case, Cam Ward did what was in his best interest, as did Kaleb Johnson.

And more power to them.

 

 

 

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