Why Tetairoa McMillan is Trending to be a Carolina Panthers All-Time Great
- By Mitch Greenberg
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
The fastest rookie wide receiver to reach 100 receiving yards in a single NFL game—in terms of total yards in one outing—is Ja'Marr Chase. He exploded for 266 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs on January 2, 2022, which stands as the most receiving yards by a rookie in a single game in NFL history.
However, NFL rookie wide receivers who recorded at least one 100-yard receiving game within their first two career games has served as a strong indicator of early dominance and future star potential. So what does that mean for Panthers’ rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan who achieved that mark against the Arizona Cardinals last week? McMillan reeled in 6 receptions for 100 yards—with the longest being a 40-yard gain. “I’m just looking forward to executing, really—just playing the best ball we know we can play,” McMillan said in his postgame press conference.
Every receiver who hit 100 yards in their first or second game and stayed healthy finished with 900+ yards, and most cleared 1,100+ yards. Early volume and separation skills tend to correlate strongly with WR1-level production.
Justin Jefferson and Chris Olave didn’t hit 100 until Week 3 of their careers, but both went on to post 1,000+ yard seasons and become WR1s quickly so McMillan is trending toward pretty good company. And with the lackluster play of Xavier Legette, who posted one reception for -2-yards, McMillan is fast becoming the saving grace in the Carolina offense.
Rookie WRs with 100+ Receiving Yards in First Two Games
Player | Year | Team | Week 1 Stats | Week 2 Stats | Notes |
Anquan Boldin | 2003 | Arizona Cardinals | 10 rec, 217 yds, 2 TDs | 6 rec, 108 yds | Most yards ever in a rookie debut |
Puka Nacua | 2023 | LA Rams | 10 rec, 119 yds | 15 rec, 147 yds | NFL record: 25 catches in first 2 games |
Phillip Brooks | 2025 | Kansas City Chiefs | 7 rec, 102 yds | 6 rec, 105 yds | Third rookie ever with 100+ in both first two games |
Ja'Marr Chase | 2021 | Cincinnati Bengals | 5 rec, 101 yds, 1 TD | 2 rec, 54 yds, 1 TD | Hit 100 in debut; TD in each of first 3 games |
Justin Jefferson | 2020 | Minnesota Vikings | 2 rec, 26 yds | 3 rec, 44 yds | Broke out in Week 3 with 175 yards |
CeeDee Lamb | 2020 | Dallas Cowboys | 5 rec, 59 yds | 6 rec, 106 yds | Hit 100 in Week 2 vs Falcons |
Garrett Wilson | 2022 | NY Jets | 4 rec, 52 yds | 8 rec, 102 yds, 2 TDs | Week 2 breakout vs Browns |
Chris Olave | 2022 | New Orleans Saints | 3 rec, 41 yds | 5 rec, 80 yds | Hit 100+ in Week 3 and 4 |
McMillan stacks up well against Carolina Panthers’ rookie wide receiver history. including the standout 2025 debut of Tetairoa McMillan.
Panthers Rookie WRs Historical Comparison
Player | Year | First 100-Yd Game | Rookie Season Stats | Notes |
Tetairoa McMillan | 2025 | Week 2 (100 yds) | 11 rec, 168 yds | Fastest Panther to 100 yards |
Kelvin Benjamin | 2014 | Week 3 | 8 rec, 115 yds, TD | Best rookie WR season in team history |
Christian McCaffrey | 2017 | Week 3 (as RB/WR) | 101 yds (receiving) | Hybrid role; not a pure WR |
Muhsin Muhammad | 1999 | Season 3 | 126 yds | Developed into long-term WR1 |
Xavier Legette | 2024 | Never | 49 rec, 497 yds, 4 TDs | Inconsistent usage, negative EPA outing |
McMillan’s Week 2 performance (100 yards) was the fastest ever by a Panthers rookie WR, surpassing Benjamin and McCaffrey. His 168 yards through two games already eclipses any other rookie WR in franchise history over the same span.
Comp Player | Similar Traits | Rookie Season | Projection for McMillan |
Mike Evans | Size, vertical threat | 1,051 yds, 12 TDs | 1,000+ yds, 6–8 TDs |
Tee Higgins | Body control, YAC | 908 yds, 6 TDs | 900–1,100 yds, 5–7 TDs |
Kelvin Benjamin | Panthers system fit | 1,008 yds, 9 TDs | Similar ceiling |
The tale of the tape suggests, based on size (6'5", 220 lbs), early usage, and downfield efficiency, that McMillan will make a similar effort as players such as Mike Evans or Tee Higgins. Based on how the season goes, McMillan is trending toward landing in upper ranges of the record books for sure.
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