McMillan was set to battle Ted Hurst for the WR3 role behind Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin in training camp but an early August knee injury sidelined him without a return date. It's a similar story to last year when McMillan only played four games and topped 40 receiving yards in just one of those games. If he returns to the practice field long before Week 1 then he can be considered a late-round option in deeper PPR leagues.
Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Ruled out for second preseason game
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McMillan (knee) will not play in Saturday's preseason game against the Chiefs, River reports.
McMilan returned to practice Tuesday after missing a week of action with a lingering knee issue, but per head coach Todd Bowles he will be eased back into action and will not suit up for Tampa Bay's second exhibition contest.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Practicing again after week-long absence
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McMillan (knee) returned to practice Tuesday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
It's unclear if he'll be a full participant, but McMillan is at least suited up and taking part in some capacity. He's been dealing with a knee injury for the past couple weeks, missing Tampa's preseason opener against the Jets. McMillan should have plenty of time to get right for Week 1.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Labeled day-to-day by head coach
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Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said Monday that McMillan (knee) is considered day-to-day, PewterReport.com reports.
He remained sidelined at practice Monday along with Emeka Egbuka (toe), whom Bowles referred to as "day-to-day, week-to-week," per Evan Closky of 10 Tampa Bay. McMillan has been tending to a sore knee for nearly two weeks, with the issue preventing him from playing in last week's preseason opener versus the Jets. The third-year wideout is trending toward another absence for Saturday's exhibition versus the Chiefs, but the Buccaneers haven't yet indicated that McMillan's availability for the start of the regular season is in any jeopardy.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Involved in position drills Tuesday
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McMillan (knee) is doing individual drills at Tuesday's practice, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
Even if he isn't a full participant, McMillan's relatively quick return to practice seemingly confirms that his knee injury isn't serious. He's been out for about a week but may now be ready for a preseason appearance. McMillan is the favorite for Tampa Bay's No. 3 WR job, behind returning starters Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin. Competition for snaps primarily comes from Tez Johnson and rookie Ted Hurst.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Remains sidelined at practice
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McMillan (knee) did not participate at the Buccaneers' practice Thursday, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.
McMillan has been sidelined all week after suffering a knee injury at some point prior to Monday's practice. The wide receiver has been wearing a compression sleeve on his left leg, and at this point, the team hasn't expressed a significant level of concern about the injury. McMillan will be battling with rookie Ted Hurst and second-year wideout Tez Johnson (groin) for targets behind expected leaders Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka in the wide receiver room this season.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Held out of practice Tuesday
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McMillan (calf) isn't practicing Tuesday, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.
Per Laine, McMillan is wearing a compression sleeve on his left calf and was dealing with some soreness Monday, when he was also kept out of practice. It doesn't sound like the issue is a major concern, especially at this point in camp, but the Bucs are likely to play it safe with the wideout until he's able to shake the soreness. McMillan missed most of last year due to a neck injury, though he has a chance to move up to a bigger role in 2026 following the departure of Mike Evans to San Francisco.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: More talent added to wideout room
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McMillan is expected to face increased competition for playing time and targets after Tampa Bay used a third-round pick on Ted Hurst in the 2026 NFL Draft, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.
The Bucs continued to shake up their wide receiver room by selecting Hurst with the 84th overall pick last Friday. Over the offseason, the team has subtracted Mike Evans, who signed with the 49ers in free agency, and added Hurst to a group that still includes Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, McMillan and Tez Johnson. McMillan missed most of last season with a neck injury before making his debut in Week 15. In four regular-season games, McMillan produced a respectable 12-178-0 line on 15 targets. Egbuka faded fast after a big first half of the campaign, and Godwin didn't look anything like his old self after breaking his ankle in 2024. How this depth chart shakes out during training camp and the preseason will be something to watch for an offense that likes to throw the football.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Abbreviated '25 due to injury
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McMillan brought in his only target for 11 yards in the Buccaneers' 16-14 win over the Panthers on Saturday. He finished the 2025 season with 12 receptions for 178 yards on 15 targets and one carry for one yard across four games.
A neck injury suffered in the preseason ended up wiping out most of McMillan's second NFL season, as the wideout didn't make his 2025 debut until Week 15. He did post a 100-yard effort in Week 17 against the Dolphins, however. McMillan should have no restrictions for OTAs and could wind up in the No. 3 WR role if Chris Godwin can't come to terms on restructuring his contract and gets lets go by Tampa Bay.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Week 18 Waiver Priority List
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McMillan had a huge game in Week 17 at Miami with seven catches for 114 yards on nine targets. He only managed two catches for 15 yards on three targets in Week 16 at Carolina, and the Buccaneers are fully healthy at receiver with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka. But Baker Mayfield was leaning on McMillan against the Dolphins, and the same thing could happen in Week 18 against the Panthers. He's worth a look in deeper leagues as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Little with three touches in loss
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McMillan brought in two of three targets for 15 yards and rushed once for one yard in the Buccaneers' 23-20 loss to the Panthers on Sunday.
Playing in just his second game of the season, McMillan had a modest role, albeit within the context of a day in which Baker Mayfield threw for just 145 yards and averaged 5.6 yards per attempt. McMillan did enjoy a solid snap share relative to the rest of the team's front-line receivers, as his 34 snaps (53 percent) were just two behind Emeka Egbuka and six and eight fewer than Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, respectively. McMillan should continue essentially splitting the No. 3 role with Egbuka during a favorable Week 17 road matchup against the Dolphins.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Two catches in season debut
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McMillan (neck) brought in both targets for 38 yards in the Buccaneers' 29-28 loss to the Falcons on Thursday night.
Making his long-awaited season debut following his recovery from a preseason neck injury, McMillan looked good while bringing in a pair of 19-yard grabs. One of those catches was originally ruled a 20-yard touchdown reception that was overturned on replay, when it was determined McMillan hadn't broken the plane of the goal line. The second-year wideout will have a chance to build on what was an encouraging initial performance when the Bucs travel to Carolina for a key Week 16 clash with the Panthers on Sunday, Dec. 21.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Logs another limited session
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McMillan (neck) was a limited participant in Tuesday's walkthrough practice.
McMillan is inching his way toward making his 2025 debut after starting the year on injured reserve due to a neck injury. The Buccaneers will have a normal practice Wednesday, and McMillan's participation in that session will provide clarity on whether he'll be able to play Thursday against Atlanta.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Limited on practice estimate
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McMillan (neck) was listed as a limited participant on Monday's practice estimate, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
The same applies to fellow WR Mike Evans (collarbone), with coach Todd Bowles noting Monday that both players are in play to potentially return to action Thursday night against the Falcons, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports. McMillan has yet to see game action this season after having suffered a neck injury during an Aug. 16 preseason tilt against the Steelers.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Not playing this week
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McMillan (neck) won't return for Sunday's game against the Saints, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
As expected, with McMillan having logged just 2-3 limited practices after missing more than three months due to fractures and ligament damage in his neck. It's unclear what kind of role he'll have if he's ready to play in Week 15 or 16.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Limited again Thursday
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McMillan (neck) was a limited practice participant Thursday.
The Buccaneers designated McMillan for return from injured reserve Wednesday, and he so far has logged a limited walkthrough and a capped practice this week. He's seeking his first game action since preseason Week 2 in mid-August, when he suffered three neck fractures and significant ligament damage in his neck that resulted in him wearing a neck brace for a lengthy span of time. McMillan may require a ramp-up period in order to be activated from IR, but Friday's injury report will reveal whether or not he even has a chance to play Sunday against the Saints.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Limited at walkthrough
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McMillan (neck) was limited in Wednesday's walkthrough.
McMillan suffered a major scare preseason Week 2 when he was upended while making a leaping catch and fell hard on his neck and helmet. He sustained three neck fractures and significant ligament damage in his neck that forced him to wear a neck brace for a long stretch of time. Now that he's been designated for return from injured reserve and actually mixed into some drills, McMillan has a chance to return to action as soon as Sunday's game against the Saints, but the Buccaneers instead may be more focused on ramping up his activity level with an aim to get him back beyond Week 14.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Could practice this week
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Coach Todd Bowles said Monday that McMillan (neck) could practice this week, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
McMillan suffered multiple neck fractures and ligament damage in an Aug. 16 preseason game. The injuries landed McMillan on injured reserve, where he's spent the first 13 weeks of the season. Bowles added that McMillan had to adjust to wearing a helmet again to see how strong his neck is following the injuries. While McMillan could begin practicing this week, Bowles said both McMillan and Mike Evans (collarbone) "have a little ways to go before playing," according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. The Bucs haven't had their entire wideout room healthy yet this season.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: To start year on IR
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The Buccaneers are expected to place McMillan (neck) on injured reserve when they finalize the 53-man roster, which will force him to miss at least the first four weeks of the regular season, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles said that McMillan suffered a "severely sprained neck" during Saturday's preseason win over Pittsburgh, and the wideout's recovery timetable could stretch beyond the team's Week 9 bye. With Chris Godwin (ankle) still uncertain for Week 1 and a candidate to miss time early in the season, six-time Pro Bowler Mike Evans and rookie first-round pick Emeka Egbuka appear primed to open the regular season as quarterback Baker Mayfield's top two receivers, while tight end Cade Otton stands to also benefit from an uptick in target volume.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Dons neck brace
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McMillan (back) was spotted wearing a neck brace after Saturday's 17-14 preseason win at Pittsburgh, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
At the end of his 18-yard leaping catch in the first quarter, McMillan was undercut by a Steelers defender and landed hard on his neck and head region. He was able to walk to the sideline under his own power before being ruled out due to a back issue, while also being evaluated for a concussion. It's unclear if McMillan has been diagnosed with a head injury, but it seems likely that he'll miss some time with just one preseason game to go (Saturday, Aug. 23 against the Bills) ahead of Week 1.
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Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Long catch in preseason opener
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McMillan recorded one catch on one target for 21 yards in Saturday's 29-7 preseason win over the Titans.
McMillan started the game due to Mike Evans (rest) and Chris Godwin (ankle) both being sidelined. He made an instant impact on the game, catching a long 25-yard pass from Kyle Trask down the middle of the field on the first play of the game. McMillan has increased competition for targets and playing time from rookie Emeka Egbuka, but the former should still have a role in the regular season -- particularly if Godwin isn't ready for Week 1.
