In his first NFL season, McMillan led all rookies with 1,014 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns, while recording 70 catches. Those totals place him 14th in the league in receiving yards and 15th in receiving TDs for 2025, with his 70 receptions ranking 34th overall.
McMillan’s production helped fuel Carolina’s surprise rise to win the NFC South, pairing with a productive first year for quarterback Bryce Young, who finished with 3,011 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
The award race featured several notable finalists, including New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson, and New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, whom McMillan narrowly outpaced for the honor.
Tom Brady had previously recognized McMillan with his LFG Offensive Rookie of the Year award earlier in the week. Brady said of the Panthers’ rookie, “I didn’t cover a lot of Carolina games, but what I saw from him was a dynamic ability to get open, catch the ball down the field, explosive plays and ball possession plays. He really rose to the occasion. There were some questions coming out of the draft. But I think he showed to everyone what he’s all about with a monster year.”
