The Carolina Panthers got their season off to a brilliant start.
They forced a Chicago Bears fumble by Luther Burden and fell on it to set up a short field.
They then capped that drive with a Bryce Young 4-yard TD pass to Chuba Hubbard.
In between, Young attempted three passes to other players.
None of them were Tetairoa McMillan, though, which had fans wondering if he was out there at all.
Is Tet McMillan Playing Today?
Yes, McMillan is active and playing for the Panthers. He’s been on the field. He just hasn’t been thrown to.
McMillan didn’t have any injury concerns heading into the weekend, either, so there really shouldn’t be any issues here.
Young just happened to throw the ball elsewhere on the opening drive.
The biggest throw was a 26-yard completion to Jalen Coker, who is the Panthers’ No. 2 WR.
The starting tight end, Tommy Tremble caught an 11-yard pass.
Young also targeted backup tight end Mitchell Evans once but didn’t complete the pass.
The Panthers also ran twice, both with Chuba Hubbard, for nine yards.
McMillan is out there drawing plenty of defensive attention. He just has to get the ball.
Will McMillan Get the Ball?
McMillan should get the ball coming his way very soon.
He was the 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
He played in all 17 games for the Panthers in the regular season and was targeted 122 games. He had 70 catches for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns.
That averages out to 4.1 catches per game for Tet, who you’d only expect to be even better in his second season.
In the Panthers’ lone playoff game last season, McMillan caught 5-of-7 targets for 81 yards.
McMillan is going to be crucial as a pass catcher for the Panthers as their season goes along. Coker is a solid WR2, but it gets shaky after that.
It’s not clear if Xavier Legette, or anyone below him on the depth chart, can be consistent.
McMillan has already proven he’s a consistent player, though, and he should be again very soon.
Is Tetairoa McMillan Playing Today? Why Panthers’ WR Starts Slow vs. Bears