There are a lot of ways to describe the wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan's first season with the Carolina Panthers. He had 1,014 receiving yards, seven touchdowns, and was the runaway winner of the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
But none of those numbers explain what McMillan actually was for the Panthers' offense. How about 78.6 percent of his receptions going for either a first down or a touchdown? That was good for second in the entire NFL.
Here’s the list from 2025:
- Davante Adams - 85.0%
- Tetairoa McMillan - 78.6%
- George Pickens - 78.5%
- Jameson Williams - 75.4%
- Jaylen Waddle - 75.0%
- Romeo Doubs - 74.5%
- Courtland Sutton - 70.3%
- Hunter Henry - 70.0%
- Tee Higgins - 69.5%
- Drake London - 67.6%
Carolina Panthers already have a supreme difference-maker in Tetairoa McMillan
Every single name on that list is an established NFL veteran. Except for the one sitting at No. 2.
McMillan finished with 55 first downs on 70 catches. That’s absurd efficiency. And he did it while accounting for 30.7% of the Panthers’ receiving yards, the sixth-highest share in the entire NFL.
No other Panthers receiver topped 400 yards. McMillan had nearly double the targets of the next closest pass catcher, meaning defenses knew where the ball was going, and it didn’t matter.
The truth is, a 1,000-yard receiving season can be a little misleading at times. You can get there on volume. On broken plays. On a few explosive games. You cannot fake 78.6% of your catches changing the game state.
The award was about the moments. McMillan's stunning Week 16 showing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His fourth-down touchdown catch versus the Los Angeles Rams. His divisional performance against the Atlanta Falcons.
McMillan spent the entire season saying he wasn’t thinking about awards. That he just wanted to “prove the people who believed in me right.”
"But I mean, my job is not to prove anybody wrong, it's to prove the people that believed in me right.” McMillan said. “So when I got picked at No. 8, it was my job to make sure that I made Mr. Morgan and coach Canales and Mr. Tepper, that made them feel like they made the right decision and that I was worth the pick."
What he actually did was become the most reliable player on the field for Carolina before Thanksgiving. Because players don’t usually learn this trait over time. They either have it or they don’t. McMillan already does.
He also has a full season of experience, is a quarterback entering his fourth year, and has a coaching staff openly discussing adding more pieces around him.
The Panthers may still be building their offense, but they’ve already found the hardest piece to get: a receiver who turns catches into first downs like a 10-year veteran.
And he’s only 22.