Tetairoa McMillan already showed as an NFL rookie that he can be a special wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers.
He isn’t being complacent heading into his second year, though. He’s trying to get better.
And in McMillan’s case, he’s doing it by adding weight.
McMillan recently told reporters that he added about 20 pounds this offseason, but the ironic part isn’t that. It’s that McMillan believes he’s actually faster with more weight on his body.
“In college, when I was heavier, I was stronger, faster,” McMillan said earlier this week.
Whether or not that’s actually true, it certainly suggests McMillan will be entering this season with a lot of confidence.
Tetairoa McMillan Weight
McMillan measured as 219 pounds at the NFL Combine.
It’s not immediately clear whether that now means he’s almost 240 pounds, or if the plus-20 addition of weight that he shared was actually coming from a lower point than that.
McMillan is 6-foot-4, so he’s got a big frame to add weight to if he wants.
Most NFL receivers these days are leaner and faster, but McMillan is already a big target and certainly can make life tough on opposing defensive backs if he’s even stronger.
Rookie Season in Review
McMillan was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Panthers out of Arizona.
He was pretty much as advertised. McMillan appeared in all 17 games and caught 70 passes for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns.
He proved early and often that if Bryce Young gave him a chance to catch the football, he often would come down with it, even over or through a defensive back or two.
McMillan turned 23 in the offseason, so his NFL journey is just beginning. He’s got a chance to put together a great career to build on the fact that he was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2025.
Young will be trying to prove this season that he can be the quarterback of the future in Carolina. McMillan will be the main guy he leans on to make plays in the passing game.
The Panthers also have the rising talent Jalen Coker in the slot, and they’ve got the likes of Xavier Legette, John Metchie III, Jimmy Horn Jr. and Brycen Tremayne further down the WR depth chart.
It’s clear, though, that this is McMillan’s wide receiver room. He might be getting bigger and stronger, but he doesn’t plan on that weighing him down. Instead, McMillan hopes to use his physical prowess to grow into an even bigger star for the Panthers.
Carolina has an NFC South Division crown to defend, and McMillan certainly seems ready to put himself on the line to help the Panthers extend their reign atop the division.
Panthers’ Tetairoa McMillan Adds Weight, Shares Ironic Belief