Dave Canales isn’t hiding what the Panthers want Tetairoa McMillan to be in 2026: a weapon they can move around, stress defenses with, and keep feeding in different ways.
Carolina is coming off an NFC South title and is trying to make it two straight division crowns while reaching the playoffs for a second consecutive year. McMillan, fresh off a rookie season that earned him Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, sits right at the center of that push.
The 23-year-old turned in a huge debut year, finishing with 70 catches for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. That kind of production is why Canales is already talking about building the offense around his flexibility.
"We'll use [McMillan] in a versatile way, be able to take advantage of how comfortable he is in the slot, and then also still be able to take advantage of the one-on-one opportunities when they come to us," head coach Dave Canales said.
That versatility matters because it gives Carolina options. McMillan can work inside, win outside, and help the Panthers hunt for the kind of matchups that get him free. Jalen Coker and the other outside weapons will also be part of the picture, but McMillan is the clear headliner.
His rookie impact also showed up in Bryce Young’s numbers. Young posted the best season of his career, completing 63.6 percent of his passes for 3,011 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while adding 216 rushing yards and two scores.
If Young keeps climbing in 2026, Carolina’s offense could look a lot more dangerous.
The Panthers will also have a different look in the backfield. Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks are set to lead the running back group after Rico Dowdle left in free agency for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hubbard served as the secondary option behind Dowdle in 2025, rushing for 511 yards and a touchdown on 134 carries while also catching 30 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns.
He’d already shown starter-level production before that, though. In 2024, Hubbard ran for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns and added 43 receptions for 171 yards and a score.
With McMillan in place, Young trending up, and enough talent around them to keep defenses honest, Carolina has the pieces to make another run at the NFC South.
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Those moves have pushed the ceiling talk higher than it has been in years, with some analysts even floating a top-five finish in 2026 if everything clicks. For a team that has been searching for a true defensive identity, the appeal is obvious, but the real question is whether all that new talent can turn promise into something sturdier once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]