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NFL.com snubs Tetairoa McMillan from Offensive Rookie of the Year list

The 2025 NFL season begins next week, and the predictions continue. A list of NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates was missing a Panthers’ wide receiver.
Russell Baxter|
Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) on the field in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) on the field in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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He was the first wide receiver selected in the 2025 NFL draft, and the eighth overall pick in April. Tetairoa McMillan was a somewhat surprising but solid selection by Carolina Panthers’ general manager Dan Morgan. There’s been a rapport with quarterback Bryce Young this summer, and he figures to become the team’s top pass-catcher.

Earlier this week, a 29-member voting committee for NFL.com gave their early predictions and thoughts on the league’s eight postseason awards for 2025: Most Valuable Player, Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, as well as the Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year. There’s also the Coach of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, and the new Protector of the Year (offensive lineman).

The focus here will be the NFL Offensive Rooke of the Year. The voting broke down as such for a total of nine players mentioned: Raiders’ running back Ashton Jeanty (7), Jaguars’ WR (CB) Travis Hunter (6), Titans’ quarterback Cam Ward (5), Buccaneers’ WR Emeka Egbuka (2), Chargers’ running back Omarion Hampton (2), Patriots’ running back TreVeyon Henderson (1), Packers’ wideout Matthew Golden (1), Bears’ tight end Colston Loveland (1), and Colts’ tight end Tyler Warren (1).

Tetairoa McMillan
Aug 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Panthers’ WR Tetairoa McMillan not on Offensive Rookie of the Year list

A player not getting any votes was McMillan, which has to rank as somewhat of a surprise. Dave Canales’s team finished 30th in the league in 2024 in passing yards per game, so Morgan's selection made sense. The Panthers were also the only team in the NFL this past season that did not have a player total at least 50 receptions. Meanwhile, the former University of Arizona wideout was a high-volume producer his final two years with the Wildcats, totaling 90 and 84 catches in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Of course, the Panthers are counting on Young and McMillan to become the team’s lead passing combination this upcoming season. If that is indeed the case, it could be hard to ignore the 2025 first-round pick when it comes to those 50 AP voting committee as the NFL regular season concludes.

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Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.