Panthers rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan is turning heads early in his career, and not just of those in Carolina.
Ahead of Monday night’s matchup between the Panthers and 49ers, San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan glowed about the first-year wideout.
"I think he's a stud," Shanahan said. "He's going to be one of the best receivers in this league sooner than later. He's got all the skill sets to do it and I think he's just getting started."
McMillan has spearheaded the upstart Panthers' offense, leading the club with 54 catches, 748 receiving yards and four touchdowns. The rookie has 484 more receiving yards than any other Carolina player (Xavier Legette, 264), creating the second-largest gap between Nos. 1 and 2 on any team in 2025 (Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, +756).
Shanahan said the 6-foot-5 Arizona product caught his eye during the draft process "big time," but never thought the playmaker would fall to them at No. 11, where the Niners selected defensive lineman Mykel Williams. Carolina took McMillan three picks prior.
"We thought he was going to go before that," Shanahan said, "but you've got to cover all those guys."
The radiant assessment from Shanahan underscores McMillan's sterling play through 10 games. He sits sixth in the NFL in yards, generating three games of 99-plus yards.
McMillan has the size-speed combo to consistently win versus man or zone and has shown stellar route-running for a first-year player. The rookie's coming off his most impressive game of the season, generating eight catches, 130 yards (both career-highs) and two touchdowns in Carolina's comeback overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons.
