Against the Dolphins, second-year receiver Jalen McMillan had a breakout performance at Hard Rock Stadium. McMillan returned to action in Week 15 against the Falcons after missing the most of the 2025 season following a neck injury sustained in preseason Week Two versus the Steelers. Against Miami, McMillan returned to peak form and produced one of the best games of his tenure between the hashes.
The former Washington Huskie recorded a career-high 114 receiving yards on a career-best seven receptions. It marked the first 100-yard receiving game of McMillan's career, with his previous high being 75 yards receiving on 12/15/24 at the Los Angeles Chargers. McMillan's 33-yard catch in the second quarter matched his career long. Baker Mayfield pump-faked and hit McMillan down the left boundary in a one-on-one with Jack Jones.
Whether finding the soft spot in zone, picking up yards-after-catch or conning coverage with leverage, McMillan helped ignite the offense against Miami. Originally a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, McMillan can work out wide and out of the slot. The fluid route runner thrives when he can maximize his long-striding speed and efficient stop-start capability.
"I knew what I was going to run and the leverage I was getting and I was able to work off that," said McMillan.
McMillan varied his releases to keep defensive backs off-balance and is proficient at throttling up-and-down in his routes, varying tempo. His balanced skillset and alignment flexibility provided the Bucs with an offensive boost against the Dolphins and the second-year receiver will aim to continue the trend in the regular season finale against the Panthers.
