Coming off of a dominant 30-0 win in Week 3 win against the Atlanta Falcons, the Carolina Panthers looked to capitalize against the New England Patriots in Week 4. But what actually occurred was an embarrassing 42-13 loss that dropped the Panthers back to 1-3.
In the defeat, first-round rookie Tetairoa McMillan led the team with four receptions for 62 yards. However, he saw eight targets total. The Panthers as a whole seemed out of sync throughout the entire game.
When it comes to McMillan's development, his rapport with quarterback Bryce Young will be crucial. And despite the poor Week 4 performance, the rookie says everything is all good between him and his QB, via Sheena Quick of Fox Sports Radio 1340.
“Tetairoa McMillan says his chemistry with Bryce Young hasn't ‘disappeared,'” Quick wrote.
Through his first four games in the NFL, McMillan has caught 18 passes for 278 scoreless yards. His best performance came in Week 2 against the Cardinals, when he made a career-high six grabs for 100 yards. McMillan has broken 60 yards receiving three out of four weeks, but has yet to score a touchdown. Overall, the Panthers are still waiting for him to make a true breakout impact.
But a lot of the problem doesn't fall on the rookie's shoulders. Young has struggled mightily throughout the 2025 campaign. After four weeks, he has completed just 60.4 percent of his passing for 753 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. Three of his passing scores came in that Week 2 contest. That was the only game this season in which Young has broken 200 passing yards.
The Panthers are going to need to turn things around in a hurry if they want to compete in the NFC South. They'll need both Young and McMillan to be at the top of their games for the offense to fire on all cylinders.
