OTAs kicked off on Tuesday and despite the practices being voluntary for veterans, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a stellar turnout on the grass. That included Jalen McMillan. After his 2025 campaign was derailed due to injury, the third-year receiver is focused on maximizing every rep with newfound gratitude.
"I am happy," said McMillan. "Just to be out there and to catch balls from Baker [Mayfield] and just to run on my feet, I feel good…I am definitely taking appreciation for the small things and celebrating small wins and call my mom and dad every day. I am not taking any relationship for granted, so life has been good."
McMillan suffered a serious neck injury in a 2025 preseason contest with the Steelers, landing him on injured reserve. He was subsequently placed in a constrictive brace for several months and made his return to football in a Week 15 clash with the Falcons. Overall, McMillan played 138 snaps last season, including the first 100-yard receiving game of his career against the Dolphins. In that matchup, he accumulated seven catches for 114 yards, including a 33-yarder off a Mayfield dart. McMillan came back with a vengeance and showcased his physicality, putting the injury in the rearview.
"I had to sit in my bed and wonder, 'Is my neck going to heal correctly?' described McMillan. "So, as soon as I was given the opportunity to play again, I knew that I could not look back and there was no time to be nervous and no time to be thinking about anything."
He spent the offseason catching balls daily, a routine that had once been mundane in a perpetual schedule but now is viewed through a lens with unbridled zeal. McMillan confirmed following practice that he has returned to the same strength he was at prior to the injury and the long-strider will vie to make a mark during the offseason workout program. He changes the tempo of his routes with ease, creating space with finesse and leveraged head fakes. McMillan possesses outstanding awareness and the route-running technician displays concentration at the catch point in the midst of congestion. He alters his releases to keep defenders guessing and can line up at various spots along the formation. Alongside McMillan, the Bucs have a loaded receiver room with Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., Tez Johnson and Ted Hurst. Competition breeds success between the hash marks and both McMillan and Egbuka brought in out of each other on Tuesday in a third-down battle.
"We push each other every day and me and Emeka have a third-down competition right now to see who can get the most catches and we tied so we both have to do pushups," laughed McMillan.
McMillan has his sights on a 2026 comeback and the foundation is being built during OTAs.
