Former UW football star posts career-highs against Miami Dolphins

I know the fact that Jalen McMillan’s (and Chris Godwin’s (and Mike Evans’)) return to the starting lineup and subsequent drop in Emeka Egbuka’s snaps has everyone very fraught.

But man, McMillan is just plain good. Cannot argue he hasn’t earned that WR3 spot over Egbuka.

— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) December 28, 2025

After missing the majority of his second NFL season with a neck injury, former Washington Huskies star Jalen McMillan had arguably the best game of his NFL career on Sunday afternoon against the Miami Dolphins.

Although his Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a 20-17 defeat, the 2024 third-round pick showed that his chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield was not affected by his 13-game absence while dealing with several broken vertebrae in his neck, which he suffered on an awkward fall during the preseason. He racked up 7 catches for a career and game-high 114 yards on 9 targets, narrowly outpacing his teammate, All-Pro Chris Godwin, who finished his day with 7 catches for 108 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

As the Buccaneers have struggled with injuries all season long at receiver, McMillan’s re-emergence alongside Godwin and fellow All-Pro Mike Evans, along with first-round pick Emeka Egbuka, gives Mayfield one of the most talented sets of wide receivers in the NFL.

“He made a bunch of good plays for us,” Mayfield said of McMillan after the game.

“We trust JMac. Obviously, he’s had a lot of reps with us as we’re getting him back in there in the swing of things. He’s just another option for us when they want to roll the coverage over the top of Mike. JMac’s taken advantage of opportunities, somebody I’ve had a decent amount of work with in the scramble drill so, he always responds well with that.”

The loss sets up a win-and-in matchup with the Carolina Panthers in Week 18, where the winner will be crowned the NFC South division champion, and McMillan could once again be Mayfield’s go-to target. In two career games against the divisional opponent, he has put together 8 catches for 76 yards and 2 touchdowns.