Bucs' Todd Bowles addresses Jalen McMillan's return timeline

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers knew they would be walking into the season down a couple of key players with Tristan Wirfs and Chris Godwin sidelined from surgeries this offseason. However, they suffered more losses in training camp and the preseason.

One of those losses came in the form of second-year wideout Jalen McMillan, who suffered a severe neck strain on an ugly fall in the Bucs' preseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It looked worse in the moment than how things turned out, but it still placed McMillan on injured reserve (IR) to start the season with a timetable for return expected sometime after Tampa Bay's Week 9 bye. Many might have been optimistic about when McMillan could return, but when speaking with the media, head coach Todd Bowles stated that the timetable for McMillan's return to game action is still the same as it was a few weeks ago.

McMillan still expected to miss significant time

Aug 9, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

"Timetable has not changed. We see him every day. He is doing fine, but we're just walking in the hallway, so I cannot tell you, physically, how he is doing, but he is doing fine."

McMillan came on strong to end his rookie season. In 2024, McMillan scored seven touchdowns over his final five games and was expected to take another step this season before suffering the unfortunate injury.

It has only been a few weeks since the injury, so McMillan likely hasn't done anything physical movement, especially if it pertains to football. The Bucs have always been cautious with their injuries, as evidenced by the elongated time of Wirfs and Godwin's recovery, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that the timetable hasn't moved off the bye week later in the season.

The good news is that McMillan is still expected back this season, and likely just in time for the team to make a run late in the year to secure their fifth-straight NFC South title and another trip to the playoffs. The timetable could still change between now and then, depending on how McMillan rehabs over these next few week — nonetheless, it is still too early to establish a clear time on when he will make his 2025 season debut.

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