Tetairoa McMillan, the Panthers No. 8 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is a standout wideout with elite hands and leaping ability, projecting as a true X-Factor receiver for Bryce Young.
Carolina Panthers Wide Receiver Tetairoa McMillan has been named the Associated Press 2025 Offensive Rookie of the year.
McMillan was the the No. 8 overall selection in the 2025 NFL draft out of the University of Arizona (Tucson, Arizona).
McMillan beat out finalists Tyler Shough (QB, Saints), TreVeyon Henderson (RB, Patriots), Jaxson Dart (QB, Giants), and Emeka Egbuka (WR, Buccaneers).
“I know that I could’ve never done this by myself. First off, I want to thank my mom for always being there for me. She’s a real soldier,” McMillan said during his speech on Thursday.
“I want to thank my family for just teaching me the importance of humility and respect, and for always just supporting me. I want to thank (owner) Mr. Tepper, Mrs. Tepper, (general manager) Dan Morgan, (head coach) Coach Canales, (receivers coach) Coach Moore, my teammates, and just the whole Panthers organization for believing in me.”
Tetairoa McMillan Won OROY Convincingly
According to a Carolina Panthers article, McMillan won with 41 first place votes. The voting results are as follows:
Tetairoa McMillan: 41 first place votes.
Tyler Shough: 5 first place votes.
TreVeyon Henderson: 1 first place vote.
Jaxson Dart: 1 first place vote.
Emeka Egbuka: 0 first place votes.
McMillan is the first Carolina Panthers player to win the award since Cam Newton in 2011.
The rookie wideout finished the season with 70 receptions for 1,014 yards. He scored seven touchdowns, which was the most receiving touchdowns by a rookie this season.
“McMillan played 87.18 percent of the Panthers’ offensive snaps this season, the most amongst all five finalists, and was the only finalist to start all 17 regular-season games.” Kassidy Hill said in a Carolina Panthers article. “He was responsible for 20.18 percent of the offense’s production, the most of any non-quarterback finalist, making highlight-worthy plays and touchdowns to help send the Panthers back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.”
“McMillan reached 100 receiving yards only twice, but he was consistently the most impactful receiver in Carolina’s offense and the player Bryce Young looked to when the Panthers needed a big play.” Bill Barnwell wrote in an ESPN article.
This Is Tetairoa McMillan’s Second Year-End Award
Tetairoa McMillan claimed the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) Rookie and Offensive Rookie of the Year on January 20th.
#panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan named PFWA Rookie and Offensive Rookie of the Year
McMillan was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team showing that he could be a future star in the NFL.
“TMac, he was him,” Bryce Young is quoted as saying in Hill’s Article. “He was, he’s exactly who he’s been. He was elite; he’s a special player.”
“He’ll be the offensive rookie of the year,” Young added in the article. “I have all the confidence in the world, again, a special guy, stuff you can’t teach, and all the stuff that you can, he’s working super hard at, he’s working to perfect it, and cares about the craft. Again, a special guy. I’m super grateful that he’s on the team.”
Tetairoa McMillan’s upside is tremendous as the Panthers may have found their number one wideout for the foreseeable future. The Panthers will look forward to see what he does in 2026.
DeonTay Smith is a journalist who covers the NFL for Heavy.com with a focus on the Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and the Baltimore Ravens. A graduate from Methodist University, Smith also covers local news for the Panama City News Herald and hosts his own YouTube podcast. More about DeonTay Smith
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