Carolina Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan has many fans in the NFL.
The Carolina Panthers are not in the Super Bowl, but one of their players has come up a few times.
Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan had a terrific rookie season, so much so that some of the top players in the NFL are praising him from the Super Bowl.
The latest one is New England Patriots star cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
"I knew he was going to be special," Gonzalez said about McMillan. "I played against him in college, his freshman year, I was at Oregon. We played against each other and, from there, I knew he was going to be good.
"And, I trained in Arizona. He was doing combine training in Arizona, so we've crossed paths, and I've always known what a good talent he is, and he's a great dude. He's very faith-based, very family-based, and that's very respectable."
McMillan led all rookies this season in receiving yards (1,014), receiving yards per game (59.6) and touchdown receptions (seven) and ranked third in receptions (70). He broke the Panthers franchise record for most receiving yards by a rookie.
McMillan caught 70 balls this season for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. In the Panthers' Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams, McMillan had five catches for 81 yards, showing off his skills on national TV.
McMillan won the Rookie of the Week Award back in Week 6 after scoring his first two touchdowns of his rookie campaign in the Panthers' win over the Dallas Cowboys.
"I think the biggest thing about being rookie of the year, just being consistent throughout the whole year," Chase said. "I think that's (both) the hardest and the most easiest thing you can do to put yourself in position to winning rookie of the year just because you're a rookie coming in and everybody expecting—a lot of expectations and just holding yourself to who you are and just playing to your speed and just having fun, that's the biggest thing. And (TMac's) doing it."
Carolina made the playoffs this season for the first time since the 2017 campaign, and even though they lost to Los Angeles, Bryce Young and McMillan showed the NFL world they already have significant chemistry, which is scary for the rest of the league.
"TMac, he was him, Young said about McMillan. "He was, he's exactly who he's been. He was elite; he's a special player. He'll be the offensive rookie of the year. I have all the confidence in the world, again, a special guy, stuff you can't teach, and all the stuff that you can, he's working super hard at, he's working to perfect it, and cares about the craft. Again, a special guy. I'm super grateful that he's on the team."
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