Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan bounced back from a gruesome neck injury last season that could have jeopardized his career. Now, with the injury fully in the past, the third-year pro is ready to take advantage of more opportunities.
“I’m happy,” McMillan said last week, via the Pewter Report. “Just to be out there and catch balls from Baker (Mayfield) and just to run on my feet, it feels good … I’m definitely appreciating the little things and celebrating the little wins and calling my mom and dad every day. I don’t take any contact for granted, so life has been good.”
“I had to sit in my bed and wonder: Is my neck going to heal properly? So, as soon as I got the chance to play again, I knew I couldn’t look back and there was no time to be nervous and no time to think about anything.”
McMillan, a third-round pick in 2024, is off to a great start in his rookie campaign, hauling in eight touchdowns on 37 catches for 461 yards in 13 games. A preseason neck injury caused him to miss all but four games last season, but he showed fearlessness afterward, hauling in 12 catches for 178 yards, including a 7-catch, 114-yard game against Miami in Week 17.
With Mike Evans leaving for San Francisco, McMillan’s role will increase. At 6-foot-1, McMillan doesn’t replace Evans’ size, and he’s not a firebrand, but a demonstrated ability to compete and stretch the court will fill a necessary role. With new OC Zac Robinson noting that he sees Emeka Egbuka as primarily a Z receiver and Chris Godwin doing his best out of the slot, McMillan could see significant reps at the X spot. At the very least, he should be traded in that position, which provides an opportunity to play in Tampa’s offense.
Last week, coach Todd Bowles raved about McMillan’s mental toughness.
“Jalen is tough. His mental toughness is incredible,” Bowles said. “His competitiveness, the way he attacks the ball, the way he fights for every lane and tries to be open and wants to be ‘that guy,’ you know, it gives you a lot of confidence that he’s going to do that in the game.”
McMillan looked poised to play a significant role last year before the injury. With Evans gone, the 24-year-old could achieve those plans a year later.