Report: Wisconsin QB Tanner Mordecai suffers broken hand, timetable for return uncertain

Some tough news came out of Madison, WI on Monday morning as ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Wisconsin quarterback Tanner Mordecai has broken his right hand.

The Badgers fell 15-6 at home vs. the Hawkeyes and had to leave the game in the second quarter, just after he had appeared on the TV screen pointing at his right hand and seemed to mouth the words “I can’t throw.” He was replaced by backup QB Braedyn Locke for the rest of the day.

Now, as of Monday, Thamel reports that Mordecai’s hand is broke and he is out for the “immediate future.” Here was his tweet breaking that news:

“Source: Wisconsin quarterback Tanner Mordecai broke his hand against Iowa and had surgery on Sunday. He had a pin put in his hand and he’s expected to be out for the immediate future. A specific timetable on his return is unknown.”

Luke Fickell said it didn’t ‘look good’ for Mordecai

Wisconsin played all of the second half and a few plays at the end of the first without starting quarterback Tanner Mordecai, who left the game with an apparent right hand or finger injury. And the early prognosis from head coach Luke Fickell wasn’t promising.

Speaking after the Badgers lost to Iowa, Fickell shared that the outlook isn’t good for Mordecai. He didn’t offer a timeline on his potential return.

“No, I don’t know. It doesn’t look good for a little while. He couldn’t grip the ball so we’ll have to make sure we find out what the deal is tomorrow and see how long that may last,” Fickell said.

In place of Mordecai, Wisconsin turned to Braedyn Locke at quarterback to fill in. Locke was pedestrian, going 15-for-30 for 122 yards and an interception. Before he went out, Mordecai was 12-for-20 for 106 yards prior to leaving the game.

The message from Mordecai to his coaches on the sideline late in the 1st half against Iowa was crystal clear and concerning. The transfer signal caller had hurt his hand a few players early and he realized the issue.

Looking to his coaches, Mordecai appeared to say “I can’t throw” while mimicking a dart throw motion before checking out of the game.

Mordecai had hurt his throwing hand while rolling to his right and throwing late with a pass rusher in his face. As he followed through with his throw, Mordecai’s right hand collided full-speed with a defender’s helmet.

“I can’t throw.”

Never the sentence you want to hear your quarterback utter.

Wisconsin QB Tanner Mordecai hit his hand on a Hawkeye helmet on a previous pass attempt. pic.twitter.com/KypCd8bSbM

— Matt Schick (@ESPN_Schick) October 14, 2023