Tetairoa McMillan’s rookie year already put him on the map. Now the Carolina Panthers wideout is being pointed to as a player who could take another big jump in 2026.
NFL analyst Moe Moton of Bleacher Report named McMillan a second-year receiver primed to break out next season, and the case starts with what he already did in 2025. McMillan won Offensive Rookie of the Year and led all rookies in receiving yards with 1,014, receiving yards per game at 59.6, and touchdown catches with seven. He also ranked third among rookies with 70 receptions and set the Panthers’ franchise record for receiving yards by a rookie.
Moton sees even more on the table if Bryce Young keeps progressing as a passer.
"With all that said, McMillan can top his rookie numbers and be a Pro Bowler, an All-Pro or an Offensive Player of the Year candidate if Panthers quarterback Bryce Young continues to make strides in the passing game. ... Young's rapport with McMillan could vault the second-year wideout to the top of multiple receiving categories in the upcoming season," Moton wrote.
That connection was on display in Carolina’s wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams, when McMillan finished with five catches for 81 yards on national TV. Even in defeat, the Panthers showed they already have real chemistry between Young and McMillan, and that carried extra weight after Carolina reached the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season.
McMillan also made it clear he never viewed his production as a surprise.
"Coming into the season and just coming into the league, I was pretty confident in my abilities and what I could do," McMillan said. "None of that was a surprise to me. I always try to strive to be the best possible player that I can be and I knew that stuff like Rookie of the Year and all that wasn't too far and I knew that I was capable of achieving those things."
He finished the season at 205 pounds, and even after a standout rookie campaign, McMillan said he felt "weak" at times.
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