A year ago, the Panthers’ passing game was stuck in the mud. Carolina finished 2024 with only two wins in its final nine games after a 1-7 start, and the offense leaned heavily on Bryce Young once Dave Canales took over after benching the second-year quarterback in Week 2.
The receiver room didn’t exactly scare anybody, either. Xavier Legette, a first-round pick in 2024, led the team with 49 catches, while Adam Thielen paced Carolina in receiving yards with 615 and touchdown receptions with five. The Panthers were the only team in the league that didn’t have a player reach 50 catches, and only two NFL teams averaged fewer passing yards per game.
Then Tetairoa McMillan arrived.
Carolina used the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 draft on the Arizona wideout, and he immediately became the kind of target the offense had been missing. Bobby Kownack of NFL.com put it this way: “(McMillan) hit the ground running to become (Bryce) Young’s go-to guy,” and he was especially destructive deep.
He saw 69 targets downfield (10-plus air yards), catching 35 for 726 yards and five scores. McMillan was the runaway AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, racking up 41 of 50 first-place votes, and by all appearances is just getting started.”
The production followed. The 6-foot-5, 212-pound receiver, ranked No. 87 on the NFL Top 100, led Carolina with 70 catches, 1,014 receiving yards and seven touchdown grabs. He started all 17 games in his rookie season and also played in the playoff loss to the Rams, finishing with five receptions for 81 yards on seven targets in the 34-31 defeat to Sean McVay’s team.
The deep-ball numbers tell the real story of McMillan’s biggest strength - and the part that still needs sharpening. He averaged 20.7 yards per catch on those 35 downfield receptions, which is exactly the kind of explosiveness Carolina wants. But the flip side is obvious: those catches came on 69 targets, a sign that the connection downfield still has room to grow, with McMillan hauling in just 50.7 percent of those throws.
That’s where the next step comes in for Carolina. Canales now has an intriguing group around McMillan, with Jalen Coker emerging after arriving as an undrafted free agent, Legette trying to rebound from two disappointing seasons, and 2026 third-round pick Chris Brazzell II already turning heads. If McMillan can become a more reliable deep threat, the Panthers’ passing game gets a lot more dangerous in a hurry.
In Other News...
Panthers May Finally Have A Real Tight End Answer For Bryce Young
The Panthers have spent years trying to patch together a tight end room that never quite gave Bryce Young the kind of reliable middle-of-the-field answer every young quarterback needs. Since 2019, no Carolina tight end has gotten to 500 receiving yards, which helps explain why the position keeps coming up whenever the roster is discussed and why potential fixes tend to draw so much attention.
A few names already sit in the mix as Carolina weighs whether to trade, shop in free agency or simply keep looking for the right fit. Michael Mayer has been floated as a more sensible trade avenue than some other options, while Darren Waller still has enough juice to make the idea interesting after flashing in Miami, including a strong showing against the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium last season. Jonnu Smith, though, has emerged as the most practical target of the group, and if Carolina is serious about stabilizing this part of the offense, the choice may come down to whether it wants upside, familiarity or the cleanest path to making the position matter again. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Suddenly Linked To A Tight End Upgrade Bryce Young Needs
The Panthers have spent the offseason trying to make the roster sturdier around Bryce Young, adding help on defense with Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd and giving the future a little more upside with rookies like Monroe Freeling and Chris Brazzell II. The next obvious step is finding more reliable production at tight end, a spot that can make life easier for a young quarterback by cleaning up the middle of the field and giving him another dependable outlet when plays break down.
That is why the idea floating around ESPN caught some attention, even if it is still just that, an idea. Carolina has been linked to a potential move for a high-end tight end who has the kind of track record that would fit what the Panthers need, and Detroit's financial picture only adds to the speculation. Any deal would not be simple, though, because a trade would almost certainly have to come with real draft value and the kind of long-term commitment that turns a rumor into a major roster decision. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Newton Sounds Off After Troubling News About Former NFL Star
Chris Johnsons health news has landed with a jolt across the football world, and it has a lot of former players thinking beyond the diagnosis itself. The former running back carved out a remarkable NFL career from 2008 to 2017, highlighted by six straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons and a reputation as one of the fastest backs of his era, so hearing his name attached to a serious long-term illness naturally carries extra weight in league circles.
On his podcast, Cam Newton focused less on nostalgia and more on what comes next for the NFL and the people who played in it. Newton said he is very intrigued to see how the league responds and what its plan is to make the game safer while better protecting former players, a question that has only grown louder as more ex-NFL players have dealt with ALS. For Carolina fans, it was a reminder that the conversation around footballs toll does not end when a players career does. [Read more 🡒]