The spotlight in the Cleveland Browns vs. Carolina Panthers preseason matchup may have been firmly on Shedeur Sanders, but former Arizona Wildcats wide receiver TeTairoa McMillan quietly delivered an impressive debut of his own. Selected eighth overall by the Panthers in the 2025 NFL Draft, McMillan is projected to become Bryce Young’s No. 1 target, and his first outing offered a promising glimpse of that potential.
How Did Tetairoa McMillan Establish Himself as the Panthers’ Top Receiver Against Cleveland?
The Panthers played their first-team offense at the start of the game with Bryce Young leading the charge before veteran backup Andy Dalton came in.
McMillan was the only Carolina receiver to play all snaps with the offensive first-team, staying on the field even after Dalton replaced Young. The 22-year-old showcased his abilities in limited action, playing 13 snaps in total with seven routes run and five targets.
McMillan dropped one touchdown pass from Young in the end zone, but made two great catches, including one spectacular 30-yard lob close to the right sideline.
Tetairoa McMillan DROPS an easy touchdown from Bryce Young yiiiikes
pic.twitter.com/cSk7IpLvFb— John Frascella (Football) (@NFLFrascella) August 8, 2025
McMillan was matched up against corner Chigozie Anusiem at the top, and despite the Browns DB staying on him through the route, he was able to stay ahead and pluck the ball out of thin air.
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
“I just did my release. Look up, the ball is right there, perfectly placed,” McMillan said afterwards. “At the end of the day, I got to come down with it. So, a great ball by Bryce, and I’m just glad he trusted me on that particular play and just had to go out there and make a play.”
That play earned high praise from Bryce Young, who ended the night with 58 yards and a touchdown.
“I have a ton of trust, a ton of confidence in him,” Young said. “He did a great job of holding his line, giving me a spot to throw the ball. It’s a great catch. It’s a lot harder of a catch than I’m sure it looks, so he did a great job on that.”
McMillan later added a 13-yard reception on second down and nine yards to go from the Browns’ 31-yard line, capping off a night where he ended with 43 receiving yards, the most by any player during the game.
He also led the Carolina receivers in snaps, routes run, and targets on Friday, putting him right on track to become the Panthers’ WR1 when the season begins.
