Tetairoa McMillan: Panthers have a chance to do something that 'hasn't been done in a long time'

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2026-01-08

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Carolina Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan is the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite heading into the postseason after setting a franchise rookie record with 1,014 receiving yards in 2025, leading all first-year players.

McMillan is more focused on getting a win Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams than on any postseason accolades.

“Shoot, I mean, obviously it’s a blessing,” he said, via the team’s official website. “But out of all things that we were able to make the playoffs, we got a chance at doing something great in Charlotte that hasn’t been done in a long time. So, I feel like, you know, that, that holds a higher power than me being the leading favorite for the offensive rookie year.”

McMillan not only led all rookies in receiving yards, but he also scored the most TDs (7) and had more catches (70) than any other first-year wide receiver (only tight ends Tyler Warren and Harold Fannin Jr. had more grabs).

It’s fair to say the Panthers wouldn’t be playing right now if it weren’t for the talents of the rookie wideout. McMillan accounted for 30.7 percent of Carolina’s receiving yards in 2025 — the sixth-highest in the NFL and third-highest by a rookie on a playoff team since the 1970 merger (Bengals’ Isaac Curtis, 34.6% in 1973; Puka Nacua, 34.6% in 2023). Jalen Coker finished second on the Panthers with 394 yards, 616 yards behind McMillan.

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In Carolina’s Week 13 win over the Rams, McMillan was held to just one catch for 43 yards, but it was the game-winning touchdown. Coker earned a season-high 74 yards on four catches with a score against L.A.

In the upset win over the heavily favored Rams, the Panthers gobbled up 164 yards on the ground, generated 358 total yards and went 4-of-4 on fourth downs to stay on the field and used two Matthew Stafford interceptions to put up a season-high 31 points.

The Panthers (8-9) are the fifth team all-time (excluding strike-shortened seasons) to make the playoffs despite finishing with a losing record. They’re the only franchise to do so twice (also 2014: 7-8-1, won wild-card matchup over Arizona, then lost at Seattle).

“I mean, it’s basically a whole new season,” McMillan said. “Anybody can win. Anybody can lose on any given day. And obviously, when the season ends, it ends abruptly. When you lose, you’re out. So nobody wants to end in that way.

“So there’s definitely a lot more to play for now, and I feel like the energy is going to be a lot higher.”

Saturday will mark Carolina’s first postseason game since 2017 and the first home playoff game in Charlotte since walloping the Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game in 2015.