Wolfe: ‘A lot more big slot’ work for McMillan

McMillan saw a lot of Quinyon Mitchell in tight coverage on Sunday, but he had a solid day that could have been much better after a fourth-quarter pass went off his hands in the end zone. It would have been a difficult catch with Mitchell draped all over him, but it was a catchable pass. More importantly, it shows that McMillan remains a key piece of this passing game, and he did run the most routes of any receiver on the team.

McMillan set career highs in both receptions and yardage in the first half with nine catches for 147 yards before the break. He operated as the clear alpha in a pass attack without both Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette, routinely dusting everyone the Lions had at their disposal in an injury-ravaged secondary. While the receiving line surely turns heads, fantasy managers were left even more ecstatic about the way in which he was utilized, with the second-year receiver catching six passes for 94 yards and both touchdowns while aligned in the slot. Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik is providing structure, sequencing, and situational tendencies unlike anything fans had grown accustomed to when head coach Dave Canales was helming the offense, resulting in quarterback Bryce Young leading the league in passing while averaging more than 30 points per game through the first month of play. McMillan’s ceiling remains sky-high as a legitimate WR1 when the Panthers square off against the Eagles fin Week 6 following their bye.

By far McMillan’s quietest outing of the young season came with Jalen Coker departing midway through with a quad injury. No. 3 Xavier Legette didn’t even suit up as he battled a knee issue. That allowed the Browns’ defense to key in on T-Mac, and key they did. Fill-in No. 2 Brycen Tremayne took advantage with four receptions for a team-leading 83 yards. Heinous stuff for McMillan managers, but he has an immediate Week 4 bounce-back spot in the defense-less Lions.

McMillan took a backseat to Jalen Coker last week. The opportunities were distributed more evenly this time around. McMillan led the team with 10 targets and a 28 percent target share. Coker wasn’t far behind with nine targets. McMillan easily led the team in yards, though Coker caught eight balls and Darren Waller popped up for a two-score game. This offense may ultimately be too spread out for McMillan to reach his full potential, but Week 2 reaffirmed his status as the team’s top dog. He will be in the WR2 mix when the Panthers take on the Browns next week.

McMillan played distant second fiddle to Jalen Coker, who cooked the Chicago secondary for 138 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Panthers in air yards and targets. A bulked-up McMillan appeared a little slower than he was as a rookie in 2025, and had trouble separating for most of the game. Coker’s involvement and Bryce Young’s trust in his WR2 might be a problem for McMillan’s upside this season. He should, however, remains a decent weekly floor option, including next week against a gettable Atlanta defense.

Young has two years remaining on his contract, but is currently eligible for an extension. According to Wolfe, Young needs to improve in three areas. First, Young must check down when it’s the responsible thing to do, in turn elevating his completion rate to the “high 60s, low 70s” range. Second, Young must be comfortable playing with tempo and diverse personnel formations, including WR Tetairoa McMillan lining up in the slot more often. Third, Young must play quickly and decisively. Whether he can accomplish these feats is up in the air. He’s a mid-to-low QB2 for fantasy purposes.

Brazzell was initially expected to avoid surgery and instead rehab the “moderate LCL tear in his left knee.” After getting a second opinion, the player and team decided surgery was the “best option” for the rookie’s long-term health. According to Person, Brazzell was expected to challenge WR Xavier Legette for the No. 3 role, while also potentially allowing WR Tetairoa McMillan to line up in the slot more often. The latter storyline is worth tracking. Hopefully, the plan remains in place and Brazzell makes a full recovery ahead of the 2027 season. We expect him to be placed on injured reserve soon.

McMillan was a limited participant in spring practices due to a foot issue. As of June 10th, he was hoping to be ready for training camp. As of yesterday, that was indeed the case, which is great to hear. McMillan, 23, took home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors last year via a 70/1,014/7 receiving line. He aims to build on that this season, and NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported yesterday that the team hopes to have McMillan run routes from the slot “a lot more” this year.

McMillan has been in and out of practice during OTAs. He told reporters that he feels good now, though that was after missing today’s practice. McMillan played through a foot injury late in the 2025 season. It didn’t cost him any time, but it’s still slightly concerning that the issue hasn’t gone away entirely. As long as McMillan is able to suit up for the start of training camp, fantasy managers should still consider the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year as a high-end WR2.

Per Wolfe, the Panthers have had “a great start” at organized team activities (OTAs), which is somewhat confusing because the Panthers’ first OTA session is scheduled for May 26th. Young is apparently impressing someone on the field somehow, though. Regardless, Wolfe believes the Panthers’ offseason has made them “true contenders” capable of winning 10-12 games. They have won 13 over the past two years. If Young really is stepping up his game, that is good news for WR1 Tetairoa McMillan’s potential second-year leap. He posted a 70/1,014/7 receiving line en route to earning OROY honors last year. Young has a long way to go before we can view him as anything more than a fantasy QB2. Hopefully, the positive reports continue to roll in. If the Panthers really can win double-digit games, Young will ostensibly play a key role in the effort.