Panthers Rookie McMillan Breaks Receiving Yards Record

Tetairoa McMillan etched his name into Carolina Panthers history on Saturday night, breaking the franchise's single-season rookie receiving yards record during a 16-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

The eighth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft caught a 40-yard pass from quarterback Bryce Young on fourth-and-8 with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The reception not only extended Carolina's final drive, which ended with a touchdown catch by Jalen Coker, but also pushed McMillan past the 1,008 yards set by Kelvin Benjamin in 2014. McMillan finished the game with 84 receiving yards on seven catches, bringing his season total to 1,013 yards on 70 receptions and 122 targets across 17 games. He also recorded seven touchdown receptions this year, trailing Benjamin's nine from that earlier rookie campaign.

McMillan's milestone made him the first rookie wide receiver to reach 1,000 yards in the 2025 season. The next closest, Tampa Bay's Emeka Egbuka, entered the game with 930 yards and added only eight more, finishing at 938. No other rookie wideout approached the mark. McMillan's performance came in a high-stakes Week...