San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has circled a player to watch this week as his team hosts the Carolina Panthers — Tetairoa McMillan.
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Speaking with media members in advance of Monday night's game in Santa Clara, California, Shanahan praised the rookie wide receiver and made a strong proclamation about his future in the NFL.
"I think he's a stud," Shanahan said. "He's going to be one of the best receivers in this league sooner than later. He's got all the skill sets to do it and I think he's just getting started."
The 49ers head coach continued and acknowledged that McMillan had caught his attention leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft. However, he never expected the former Arizona receiver to make it to the 11th pick.
This came true. The Panthers selected McMillan with the eighth overall pick in the draft. Three picks later, the 49ers selected Georgia defender Mykel Williams.
McMillan has delivered for the Panthers offense while playing with multiple quarterbacks. He has caught 54 passes for 748 yards and four touchdowns.
He hit 100 yards for the first time during a Week 2 loss to the Cardinals and then he surpassed that mark last week when he caught eight passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns in an overtime win against the Falcons.
For comparison, the receiver with the second-most receiving yards on the Panthers this season is Xavier Legette. The former South Carolina standout has 24 receptions for 264 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Rico Dowdle is third on the team with 23 receptions for 197 yards and one touchdown.
The Panthers will need McMillan to continue producing at this rate entering a pivotal Monday night matchup against the 49ers. The North Carolina-based team is second in the NFC South with a 6-5 record, trailing the 6-4 Buccaneers. A win against the 49ers would keep the Panthers in contention for the division title.
These two teams have faced off 23 times since the 1995 season. The 49ers have won the last two games (2022, 2019), but the Panthers lead the series with a 13-10 record.
