Tetairoa McMillan bottled up for 17 yards in CLE

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.

Per Wolfe, McMillan lined up in the slot on 15.0 percent of snaps last season — PFF lists him at 15.5 percent — and the Panthers plan to “double that, if not more.” Getting more opportunities to run routes against safeties and linebackers is always a good thing for fantasy purposes. Wolfe adds that McMillan added “about 8-10 pounds” this offseason, which could help him muscle through traffic over the middle. He finished as the PPR WR16 last year. Upping his slot work increases his odds of beating that finish 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.

McMillan, last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year after catching 70 passes for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns, dropped between 10 and 15 pounds during the 2025 season and is working to regain some or all of it before the 2026 regular season. Even if the Panthers use an early round draft pick on a wideout, McMillan will certainly enter the 2026 as Carolina’s No. 1 receiver. Last year he ranked 26th among wideouts in yards per route run, just ahead of Khalil Shakir and Demario Douglas and just behind Romeo Doubs. McMillan ranked 65th out of 110 qualifying receivers in ESPN’s open score, which measures a pass catcher’s separation from defenders.

McMillan caught 70-of-120 targets for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns this season, leading all NFL rookies in the latter two categories. The Panthers’ promising youngster proved himself as an NFL-ready No. 1 wide receiver. He is primed for another big outing in 2026.