One nice play in the preseason won't promise anything, but sometimes that's all it takes to excite in early August.
That was the feeling in Carolina after rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan came down with a 30-yard catch down the sideline in the first quarter of Friday's preseason opener.
It was an exact glimpse of what the Panthers were looking for with their No. 8 overall pick.
"That's what we're counting on. That's why he's here," head coach Dave Canales said of the highlight, via team transcript. "Stretch the field, play big, and that was a sign of good things."
The over-the-shoulder grab wasn't as easy as McMillan made it look. The 6-foot-5 wideout shook man coverage and ran past his defender just enough to separate before twisting his body and outstretching his arms in one motion to haul in his first NFL touch.
"I just saw a perfectly-placed ball," McMillan told NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe after the 30-10 preseason loss. "You know, I just got to go out there and make plays when the plays come to me, so, at the end of the day, my job is to catch the ball. If it touches my hands, I got to come down with it."
Considering that perfect pass came from Bryce Young made the play all that more appealing for the Panthers.
"I have a ton of trust and confidence in him," Young said after the game. "He did a great job of pulling his line and giving me a spot to throw the ball. It was a great catch. It's a lot harder than I'm sure it looked, so he did a great job on that. I have all the confidence in the world in him."
The two connected again on that same drive for 13 yards to move the chains and then had a chance to put an exclamation point on their initial showing. But Young's quick pass came in a little too hot for McMillan as he turned for the ball in the end zone.
Young found Jalen Coker for a touchdown on the very next play to cap off a successful drive for the first-team offense. The Panthers quarterback finished 4-of-6 passing for 58 yards and the score, but what resonated was that 30-yard dime down the sideline.
Success for Carolina in 2025 and beyond might hinge on the compatibility of the Young-McMillan connection. While Friday night's debut won't go a long way, it's hoped to be the start of a long-lasting bond.
"I definitely feel like it's headed in the right direction," McMillan said. "I even told him today coming off the sideline, I'm like, 'Man, I like what you're doing out there. Just keep doing it -- we're gonna connect, we're good.'
"I told him, 'Don't worry -- I'm gonna try and make your job easier.'"
