Sounds Like Jalen McMillan Will Be Ready To Play Sunday
December 3rd, 2025
Exciting comments from Bucs head coach Todd Bowles today.
Joe was in Pittsburgh this summer when receiver Jalen McMillan was upended while skying for a pass from Teddy Bridgewater against the Steelers. McMillan held on to the ball as he came crashing down on his head and neck.
McMillan broke his neck but didn’t know it immediately following the game. Joe saw McMillan in good spirits talking to Mike Evans in the postgame tunnel.
The second-year receiver, who caught eight touchdown passes last season, was placed on injury reserve. This week the Bucs opened his 21-day window to practice or return. McMillan was on the field this moring and Bowles sounded like McMillan definitely will be activated on Sunday.
“It was great to see him get cleared,” Bowles said. “You could see the smile back on his face and him moving around a lot better. And him looking great, you can tell he got his weight back up; he’s been running quite a bit.”
That sure sounds to Joe like McMillan is ready to play. Cleared is cleared. Joe is confident the Bucs were very careful with McMillan, and nobody’s going to drill his neck in practice.
As of today, Joe will be surprised if McMillan doesn’t suit up Sunday.
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:48 pm
aqua hates hearing stuff like this lol
GO BUCS!!!!!
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:48 pm
really good to see him back playing after what happened.
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:49 pm
It’s all coming together, baby. Just like we planned it. 😉
Bucky, Godwin, Ben B, Evans, J Mac, Alleged-Pass-Rusher-Reddick.
Let’s gooooo.
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:49 pm
any news on CK94?….hoping to get him back for the Phins game…
GO BUCS!!!!
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:50 pm
That’s awesome news wish there was Calvary coming for that defense but it looks to be cooked.
December 3rd, 2025 at 12:54 pm
How does this affect Bowles getting fired ?
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:01 pm
Bowles ain’t going to get fired. Move on with your life.
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:03 pm
omg! so very glad! I was so proud of him last year (I am a 64 y/o woman) he came on strong end of the year. I blame Bowles for what happened to him. He should not of been in a preaseason game, he was a starter and good too. So many backups need the opportunity in preseason. Glad he is not in a wheelchair.
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:12 pm
WHAT! That’s FANTASTIC NEWS! We can SURE USE the helping hands..
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:14 pm
How?? Dude almost died on the field. That is wild.
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:18 pm
Riley Dixon named NFC special teams player of the week
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:19 pm
It’s GREAT news for the young man that his NFL career is not over, but even GREATER news that his quality of life isn’t in detriment (since he’s back on the field). Thank God for that.
That being said, sit him on Sun, give him some action on Thurs and then he’ll get 10 days off to assess how things went ahead of the Panthers game. Bucs should (hopefully) win the next three games and enter that pivotal game against the Panthers at 10-5. (especially since I bet the over on 9.5 wins).
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:20 pm
Yes when I saw that play , in the preseason game, I went wow how did he not break his neck. Then of course we find out later he did just that. Definately happy for him and Chris both such awful injuries. Let’s hope he has recovered psychologically.!! tat may take a few hits to get his mind back to being hit.
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:20 pm
LFG!!!!!! I love it when a plan comes together
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:21 pm
Add Mike back for the Falcons game and our WR corps will be at full strength…
Now if we can throw passes farther than 5 yards….that would be great!!!
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:29 pm
That would be a huge addition. The best WR in Bucs history is next to join. Bucs can win in the playoffs if they go in healthy, but the offense is going to have to play perfect to overcome Coach Bowles and his defense.
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:41 pm
Damn, huge surprise. Figured he’d be back later, good news man.
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:51 pm
Joes are trying to get me day drunk, Amazing news!!
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:53 pm
Fantastic! It’s feeling like Christmas presents under the tree today. Thank you for sharing all this great news, Joe!
December 3rd, 2025 at 1:57 pm
you are leaving out the context that they still need to see both Jalen and Mike in an actual practice tomorrow before determining anything
As much as I want both to play this Sunday I wonder if we don’t seem until the Panthers game with the Falcons on a short week
December 3rd, 2025 at 2:12 pm
Both Evans and Macmillan will start on Sunday. Both are medically cleared and have been moving around for a while now. I sincerely doubt anything happens in practice to either one. Evans collarbone will heal even stronger as will Macmillan’s spine. 🙂
December 3rd, 2025 at 2:12 pm
I never thought he’d be cleared to play at all this season. Thought it was just Todd being Todd. If he’s available for ATL that would be sweet. He’s a damn solid receiver. We missed him dearly this season.
December 3rd, 2025 at 2:13 pm
Look for the Bucs to score 35-40 points this week.
December 3rd, 2025 at 2:20 pm
Like to see Mac this week and ME13 next Thursday. that way they get a game under before the Panthers
December 3rd, 2025 at 2:39 pm
Great news!! GO BUCS!!
December 3rd, 2025 at 2:46 pm
i’d have thought gone for the year with a neck situation…
but this is wildly great news!…receivers are bouncing back…
i still say sit the young man for another week…it’s only the aints…
get jmac or big mike in there for the falcons game…maybe even both…
give baker weaponry…and sh!t could get productive AF
December 3rd, 2025 at 2:46 pm
Let’s be cautious with the young man. Let him work his way back slowly.
December 3rd, 2025 at 3:00 pm
The question now is can the offense build that consistency in time? There’s very little room for error now just to make the playoffs, but if they can grind it out and get in good things could happen. Assuming the defense can keep creating turnovers and stop the big plays.
December 3rd, 2025 at 3:19 pm
im not a doctor or trainer but thats his neck and spinal cord they have to be 110% sure that it is healed and no further damage can incur with any normal football hits plays thats the young mans life
December 3rd, 2025 at 3:21 pm
He’s Sterling Shepard 2.0. Won’t make a difference.
December 3rd, 2025 at 3:34 pm
Fantasy december is here! LFG — All the way to the superbowl.
December 3rd, 2025 at 3:39 pm
YESSSSSSS! big believer in Jmac. and I really think with Godwin trending up, defenses will have to spread out more to allot for Godwin, Egbuka, and Jmac so that will only open the door more for Baker to spread it around.
December 3rd, 2025 at 4:02 pm
so stoked for JMac!! how can you not be excited we’re getting so many play makers back!!!
not to get greedy but c’mon Kalijah!!!!
December 3rd, 2025 at 4:06 pm
WTF 😳
No way I expected J-Mac back this soon !
Godwin back, Mike returning to practice 👍🏼
December 3rd, 2025 at 4:07 pm
I can’t even believe this. Two weeks ago, no Godwin, no Evans, no Irving and no McMillan.
This week all four could play, two most certainly.
This Offense could be very different this week.
December 3rd, 2025 at 4:29 pm
Are we finally fully loaded?
Evans, Godwin, Embuka, TMac, Tez, Otton, Bucky, Tucker, White
Wow!
I’m not as excited about this crew as I was at the beginning of the year. I wonder if that’s because Grizz has underwhelmed of because our OL is still broken?
December 3rd, 2025 at 4:32 pm
We just need give Baker more time to throw.
Grizz needs to be more creative.
December 3rd, 2025 at 4:39 pm
Love him. Think about sitting him Sunday for another week. Shouldn’t need him Sunday. But if he plays….yay!
December 3rd, 2025 at 5:20 pm
Wow! That’s huge! Was not expecting 5 games of work before needing him for the playoffs. People forget about how important and good he was towards the end of last season. 7 touchdowns in 5 games is no joke.
December 3rd, 2025 at 6:07 pm
Alvin, agreed.
You don’t come back full bore after not playing all year .. especially after breaking your neck.
Easy JMac.
December 3rd, 2025 at 6:09 pm
Firethecannons, sup?
December 3rd, 2025 at 6:20 pm
Finish the year strong, with all the 1’s on the field. GO BUCS!
December 3rd, 2025 at 6:48 pm
I don’t think either play this Sunday. Think Mike plays ATL and they’ll wait for Carolina for Jalen. I’d be pleasantly surprised if that’s not the case.
December 3rd, 2025 at 8:37 pm
I think it would be a lot more likely Evans is back this week, as opposed to McMillan – but I’d love to see them both healthy.
As for the neck, it’s either fixed or it isn’t. But if he’s been in a neck brace that entire time, first off I can not imagine how uncomfortable that is, but also I can’t imagine he’d be ready already. Now if it was some stupid trick, like him wearing the neck brace in public like he’s Tony Khan’s kid at the draft, well that’s stupid since it provides zero competitive advantage – but also would mean he’s more healthy than it appeared and he could be back.
We shall see, but I’d be surprised- albeit pleasantly so – if he’s active on Sunday.
December 3rd, 2025 at 8:40 pm
I am not worried about the O, they can score 20 or 23 on the Saints. It is the D that worries me as Bowles will stubbornly scheme as if he has a pash rush when he does not and the Saints RB and TE eat up the soft zone by beating SVD and any given lineman in coverage while Olave makes catch after catch in front of Zyon……. Save Evans and JMac for the ATL games where we know Cousins will throw for 450+ yards as it is a night game in the Creamsicles and we know Bowles is like 3-10 in night games……
December 3rd, 2025 at 11:01 pm
Yeah this doesn’t sound like a good idea. Todd has openly said he lets guys guys who want to compete play…but someone needs to step in here? Young guys really want to put things on tape for that first big contract too. O well, surely they will limit the snaps. Selfishly, I think he’s great and will change a lot- consistent downfield threat that can open up field for Egbuka or at least make defense pay for shading to him. All our other targets are YAC guys and how much longer do we seriously think we’ll see Mike anymore?
December 3rd, 2025 at 11:51 pm
Psychologically, how do you recover from that kind of injury? That’s not an easy thing to get over or not think about.
December 4th, 2025 at 12:37 am
Scoring 7 or 9 while giving up 34 or so is the killer genius strategy of Todd’s Bowleszo.