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(Jan 3, 2026 · Week 18)

The receptions that came to define Tetairoa McMillan’s Offensive Rookie of the Year-winning season were certainly abundant, but there’s a special place for the one that vaulted him over the 1,000-yard plateau. On a late-game 4th & 8 that perfectly illustrated his already-meteoric rise and alpha dog status within Carolina’s offense at once, McMillan turned a downfield rainbow throw into a double-covered 40-yard snag for the history books. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers temporarily earned NFC South bragging rights in a 16-14 result, but Jan. 3, 2026 was nevertheless memorable for McMillan, who pieced together a four-catch, 85-yard showing in the season finale. McMillan’s final receiving yardage tally (1,014) marked the most by a Panthers rookie in franchise history.

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