Jalen McMillan faces the challenge of maintaining stability in Tampa Bay’s receiving corps without Mike Evans, and he’s coming back from an injury that almost ended his career.
Now fully fit and stepping into a bigger role with Evans having moved to San Francisco, McMillan has a chance to make his mark. With Zac Robinson taking over as offensive coordinator, Emeka Egbuka is expected to operate mostly as the Z receiver, while Chris Godwin remains more effective in the slot. That opens up opportunities for McMillan to get real time at X.
Calling it just a “neck injury” doesn’t fully capture what McMillan went through. During a preseason game against Pittsburgh, he fell awkwardly and ended up fracturing three vertebrae while also herniating two discs. The risk of paralysis was real, and he spent months in a restrictive neck brace, ultimately appearing in just four games during the 2025 season.
“I had to sit in my bed and wonder, is my neck going to heal properly,” McMillan told reporters at OTAs. “As soon as I got the chance to play again, I knew I couldn’t look back and there was no time to be nervous.”
He made his return in Week 14 against Atlanta, then two games later recorded his first career 100-yard outing: seven catches for 114 yards against Miami. Over the final two weeks of the year, he pulled in 12 receptions for 178 yards. “I don’t take any contact for granted, so life has been good,” McMillan said.
McMillan steps into X receiver role after Evans departure
The confidence in McMillan isn’t just based on potential – it’s grounded in what he showed before getting hurt. In his 2024 rookie season, he finished with 37 catches for 461 yards and eight touchdowns across 13 games, and seven of those scores came in his last five games.
That stretch tied Mike Evans and Jimmie Giles for the most touchdowns over any five-game span in Bucs history and matched Ja’Marr Chase for the only such run that year. This isn’t about projecting what might happen. It’s about a team betting on a player who has already shown he can deliver.
Evans signed a three-year deal worth up to $60.4 million with the 49ers, turning down what Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht called a significantly higher offer to stay. His 2025 was injury-shortened to 30 catches and 368 yards in eight games, so the raw production gap is smaller than Evans at his peak.
The role gap is the real one. Tampa Bay needs a receiver who can align outside, win contested catches and keep coverage honest without constant motion help.
At 6-foot-1, McMillan does not match Evans’ size and is not a burner. His contested-catch ability and field-stretching give the Buccaneers a workable path. That is the piece to watch in OTAs and minicamp.
Bowles places his confidence in McMillan
Todd Bowles has consistently praised McMillan’s resilience and work ethic. The physical demands of a more permanent role are considerable, but the head coach seems to trust him, which carries weight considering the offseason changes.
The Buccaneers’ wide receiver group looks different this year. Egbuka is moving into a bigger role, and rookies Theo Johnson and Tyrone Woodley are expected to push for snaps at tight end. There is also clear talk about spreading out coverage responsibilities, relying less on Lavonte David and Christian Harris carrying the bulk of that workload.
All those changes mean Bowles needs steady play on the outside. He’ll look to McMillan’s route discipline, contact balance through catches, and how well he handles press coverage as key parts of keeping things stable.
Chris Godwin remains effective in the slot, and Egbuka provides a different look at Z receiver. The key is whether defences respect the boundary enough to prevent them from narrowing Baker Mayfield’s passing lanes. If McMillan can hold down the outside spot, it allows Godwin and Egbuka to stay in their best positions. If not, Tampa Bay might be forced to shuffle their lineup, potentially weakening multiple areas at once.
This isn’t just about a comeback story for McMillan. Tampa Bay’s early plans after Mike Evans depend on whether he can make the transition into a regular role, something that was already in motion before injury cut his year short.
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