'Special' Tetairoa McMillan Hyped by Bryce Young, Panthers After Career Night in Win vs. Lions

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young spotlighted the connection he has forged with wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan following Sunday's 32-26 win over the Detroit Lions.

"I trust [McMillan] so much," Young told reporters. "We have so many banked reps from these two years — offseason, OTAs, all that stuff. … I know the player he is. He's special. I always trust him."

McMillan had 14 receptions for 192 yards and two touchdowns. The second-year wideout summed it up well when he said that "everything just clicked tonight."

"He was balling today, and that was something super fun to see," Carolina tight end Tommy Tremble said. "He was able to show who he was today, and I think that's awesome because that's the type of player he is, that's the caliber of player. And to show it on Sunday Night Football, there's nothing better. So, I'm really, really happy for him."

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The Panthers haven't had a true No. 1 receiver since releasing Steve Smith ahead of the 2014 season.

They've invested plenty of draft capital in the position, with Terrace Marshall Jr., Jonathan Mingo and Xavier Legette all failing to fill the void Smith left behind. D.J. Moore was a much better investment but never broke through into the elite tier.

Carolina might have finally found what it was missing with McMillan. He had 1,014 receiving yards as a rookie and is averaging 96.3 yards per game through four weeks.

It's not a coincidence that Young is on pace to smash his career marks at the same time McMillan is emerging as an All-Pro-caliber receiver. His 1,268 passing yards lead the NFL, and he has nine touchdowns to two interceptions.

Coming into 2026, the jury was out on Young as he progresses toward the end of his rookie deal — he's eligible for free agency in 2028. Now, he's playing his way into a massive contract, and he'll owe McMillan a big debt of gratitude if that comes together.