Carolina Panthers’ Tetairoa McMillan accepts the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award during the NFL Honors award show, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan was named the 2025 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year at the NFL Honors on Thursday.
“I’m just so grateful, so blessed,” McMillan said at the NFL Honors. “I hope that I can inspire future generations to chase their dreams.”
McMillan became the first Panther to win the OROY award since Cam Newton in 2011. He’s also the first wide receiver to take the award since Garrett Wilson in 2022.
McMillan earned 41 of the 50 first-place votes. New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough came second in voting and earned five first-place votes.
The 22-year-old wideout proved to be a dynamic addition to the Panthers’ passing attack. McMillan started every game, amassing 70 catches for 1,014 yards, averaging 14.5 yards per catch, and seven touchdowns.
Among rookie wideouts, McMillan finished first in receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns, and receiving first downs. His 1,014 yards also set a franchise record for a rookie, passing Kelvin Benjamin’s 2014 mark with 1,008 yards.
The Panthers finished 8-9 this season and won the NFC South for the first time since 2015.
