The Carolina Panthers enter 2025 with high expectations after their strong finish to last season. They carry a fresh offensive core led by Bryce Young and his newest weapon, Tetairoa McMillan.
As the team gears up for its third and final preseason game, head coach Dave Canales delivered a concerning update on McMillan’s status, as he deals with an injury that could pose a serious issue for wide receivers heading into the season.
Tetairoa McMillan Skips Practice With Hamstring Injury
In recent years, no team has been worse than the Panthers in the regular season. Since 2017, the team hasn’t had a winning record in the NFL, a season when Cam Newton was still the starting quarterback. Since then, the team has had four years with only five wins, two years with seven wins, and its worst in 2023, with just two victories.
This came partly from mistakes at the quarterback position, as the Panthers invested in more established names like Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield, who didn’t work out with the franchise. It was also due to a lack of talent on offense, especially at wide receiver.
That hope came with McMillan’s selection in the first round of the 2025 draft, showing that the team trusts Young and needs to surround him with options to make things work. However, Canales revealed that the player is dealing with a hamstring injury and did not practice with the team in the latest session.
No Tetairoa McMillan. Dave Canales said T-Mac is dealing with a tight hamstring after a lot of preseason work.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) August 19, 2025
A hamstring injury for a wide receiver is a bad sign since that muscle group is heavily activated during breaks and sprints on the field. If rest and recovery are not managed properly, the injury tends to linger throughout the season.
Justin Jefferson is an example of another receiver who dealt with a hamstring issue throughout the preseason, a problem that kept him sidelined for much of the 2023 season.
McMillan already dealt with a hamstring strain earlier this offseason, so the recurrence of the injury could signal an issue for the season that the medical and coaching staffs will have to monitor closely.
The Panthers’ receiver was one of the top-rated prospects at his position in the last draft. After two standout seasons at Arizona, in which he had 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023 and 1,319 yards with eight touchdowns in 2024, numbers that led Carolina to draft him with the eighth overall pick.
Bryce Young goes up top to Tetairoa McMillan for the big gain!
CLEvsCAR on @NFLNetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/R6FwKTnAjm— NFL (@NFL) August 8, 2025
Analysts and fans expect the same from McMillan this season: He builds chemistry with Young early. He becomes the reliable target that helps move the offense more consistently throughout drives, while also easing the pressure on the defense to stop opponents, which was the team’s biggest problem last year.
