Four games into his NFL career, Tetairoa McMillan has every reason to be satisfied.
The Carolina Panthers’ rookie receiver ranks 12th in the league with 278 receiving yards, averaging nearly 70 per game. At that pace, he’d finish with one of the top first-year seasons by a wideout in NFL history.
But McMillan isn’t satisfied.
“I’m my biggest fan and my biggest critic,” the No. 8 overall pick said, “I know I have more in the tank.”
Through four games, he and Bryce Young have connected 18 times on 35 targets, averaging a healthy 15.4 yards per catch.
Carolina Panthers are getting exactly what they hoped from Tetairoa McMillan
Yet that 51 percent completion rate nags at him. Some of the misses have been drops. Some have been timing issues. Some were uncatchable throws that McMillan still believes he should have hauled in.
“I try not to use being a rookie as an excuse,” he said. “At the end of the day, I’ve got to make the plays I know I can make.”
Head coach Dave Canales admitted there were “near misses” between Young and McMillan against the New England Patriots. The signal-caller, for his part, took the blame: “I take accountability for that. It’s on me. I missed some opportunities.”
The rookie’s high expectations leave little room for excuses. Even with his flashes of brilliance, like highlight reel grabs and contested catches, the Arizona product is driven more by the plays he didn’t make.
“I know I have more to offer,” McMillan said. “So just staying confident, moving on to the next play, and fixing the areas I need to fix, that’s my focus.”
The reality is that McMillan is still just four games into his career. He’s producing at a level most rookies only dream of, while drawing top defensive assignments and extra coverage. When Carolina’s receiving corps is fully healthy again, he should benefit from less defensive attention and more balanced opportunities.
Even with a strong rookie start, the Panthers’ top draft pick says his standard remains the same. “Whether it’s my first season or my last, I want to be the best I possibly can be,” he said. “I know I can make those plays.”
It’s rare for a rookie to shoulder this kind of responsibility. Rarer still for one to demand even more of himself while already sitting near the top of the league.
That’s why, four games in, McMillan’s future looks every bit as big as the standard he’s set for himself.