Tetairoa McMillan didn’t spend his offseason trying to reinvent himself. He tried to get back to the version of himself he liked best.
The Carolina Panthers wide receiver said Wednesday that he added 20 pounds this offseason so he could get back to his college weight, and he believes the change has already made a difference.
"In college when I was heavier, I was stronger, faster," McMillan told reporters Wednesday.
That added bulk should matter for a player who just turned in a huge rookie season and won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. McMillan is now set up for year two with a bigger frame, and that could help him hold up better against physical defensive backs while giving the Panthers another weapon on offense.
Carolina has plenty riding on players like McMillan as it heads into a season where people outside the building are questioning whether the team can repeat as NFC South champs. The Panthers won the division in 2025 with an 8-9 record, taking the title on a tiebreaker over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and that hasn’t exactly quieted the doubters. National media is still wondering whether Carolina can win the division again, let alone get a playoff victory.
Bryce Young is a big part of that conversation, too. If the Panthers are going to flip the script, they need better play from their quarterback, both for the team and for his own future with the organization.
McMillan, though, gives Young a real edge.
And the receiver says the team is carrying a different kind of energy after its playoff loss to the Rams.
"You can feel it," he said. "Obviously, leaving that locker room, everybody was down. I feel like everybody's got that fire in them right now and is just ready to go."
The Panthers will get their first chance to show what that fire looks like on September 13th, when they open the 2026 season at home against the Chicago Bears. It’s a matchup of NFC division winners from 2025, and an early measuring stick for Dave Canales’ team.
In Other News...
Panthers Backfield Concerns Just Brought Home A Familiar Name
The Panthers turned to a familiar roster-building move on Sept. 3, signing running back Ahmani Marshall to the practice squad while releasing offensive lineman Isaia Glass in a corresponding transaction. Marshall arrives with some recent NFL background, having spent time in Browns camp and on Clevelands practice squad before being cut, and Carolina is clearly looking for help in the backfield after injuries thinned out the room.
It is the kind of addition that can matter more than it looks on paper, especially this early in the season when teams are still sorting out depth and durability. Marshall now gets a chance to re-enter the conversation in Carolina, and the larger question is whether this is just a temporary patch or the first move in a more complicated backfield reset. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Final Roster Shakeup Created One Clear Winner And Loser
The Panthers roster decisions ahead of the season brought a little more clarity to the depth chart, and a little more intrigue to the back end of the roster. Carolina kept quarterback Haynes King after he flashed in the preseason, a nice reward for a summer in which he forced his way into the conversation, while the team also made a notable addition at linebacker in Bobby Okereke as it trimmed to 53.
For Jermaine Wallace, the ripple effect was immediate, since the arrival of Okereke helped push him off the roster. There was a bit of encouraging news elsewhere, too, with Dave Canales saying he remains optimistic about Chuba Hubbards Week 1 availability despite the recent soreness, but the bigger takeaway is that the Panthers used cutdown day to make a couple of firm statements about who mattered most right now. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers First Round Decision Looks Smarter Than Fans Realized
The Panthers first-round choice drew plenty of second-guessing when the draft ended, but the picture around it has changed quickly. Monroe Freeling is now in the starting tackle role after Taylor Motons injury, and that kind of immediate need has a way of making a front office look far more foresighted than it did on draft night. Carolina has spent the early part of the season learning how thin the margin can be up front, and Freelings arrival now looks tied directly to one of the teams most important spots.
Makai Lemon, who had been floated as another possible target for Carolina, has only added to the retrospective argument by struggling through the preseason. The Panthers are still being judged on the whole set of draft decisions, but this is the kind of development that can change the tone around a pick fast. What once looked like a reach now appears to have lined up neatly with a real roster need, and in Carolinas case those are the kinds of calls that tend to matter most. [Read more 🡒]