Tetairoa McMillan’s Week 11 breakout vaults him to the front of a race that’s starting to get tight with seven weeks remaining
He’s starting to make a strong impression.
The story of the NFL on Sunday was the performance of Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, who led an overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday and in the process set the franchise single-game passing yards record. Oh yeah, and he did so while playing with an injured ankle.
It was a gutsy performance and the kind everyone wanted to see out of Young to prove he has what it takes to be the franchise guy for this team.
But, lost in all the commotion was the performance from first-round rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who continues to make a strong case for a wide open award race with seven weeks remaining in the regular season.
Tetairoa McMillan should be seen as the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite after Week 11
It was the breakout moment for McMillan on Sunday, which in itself is crazy to say because McMillan has been incredible all season long and the go-to guy for the Panthers’ passing game. Against the Falcons, McMillan totaled 130 yards and two touchdowns on 12 targets.
It was the rookie’s third game of the season with double-digit targets, his second game of the season with 100+ receiving yards, and his second game of the season with multiple touchdowns. He’s already a top threat at the position just 11 games into his career and needs more national attention.
After a game like that, McMillan should absolutely be seen as the current favorite to take home the Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and it’s turning into a really tight race.
Earlier in the season, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka seemed to have a strong hold on winning the award. Egbuka, however, suffered a hamstring injury in Week 6 but it wasn’t enough to force him out of action. It did slow his strong start down just a bit though and allow McMillan to start gaining ground on his divisional draft rival.
| Tetairoa McMillan | Emeka Egbuka | |
| Targets | 89 | 85 |
| Receptions | 54 | 45 |
| Receiving Yards | 748 | 717 |
| Touchdowns | 4 | 6 |
It’s still a tight race between the two and it’s also a tight race between the two teams when it comes to the NFC South race so it’ll be an exciting storyline to follow over the next seven games.
After the injury to New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo, the only other viable rookie to come up and challenge McMillan and Egbuka has to be Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren, who has totaled 617 yards and three touchdowns this season.
It’ll eventually come down to which rookie can make the biggest plays on the brightest stage. McMillan will have a big opportunity to do just that in Week 12 when the Panthers take on the San Francisco 49ers on “Monday Night Football” with the entire nation tuning in.
Carolina Panthers News
Bryce Young’s herculean effort in Week 11 win answered a major question people had about him being the franchise guy in Carolina
The Carolina Panthers quarterback had another career day in Atlanta.
