No Update On Jalen McMillan
September 14th, 2025
Not expected back soon.
So now that there is tangible evidence that both Chris Godwin and Tristan Wirfs are making headway to return to the playing field, there is another starter Bucs fans are wondering about.
As we all know, Bucs receiver Jalen McMillan took a nasty plunge in the worthless preseason game at Pittsburgh when Steelers camp meat/practice squad cornerback Daryl Porter undercut McMillan when he went high to catch a pass from Teddy Bridgewater.
McMillan caught the ball, landed and left the game with a severely strained neck. The Bucs sent him to injured reserve and are expecting him to miss at least eight games.
In Week 5, Joe is confident McMillan would love to play in Seattle, as that is where he became a star for Washington.
When asked about McMillan on Saturday, Bowles offered no information.
“Timetable has not changed,” Bowles said. “We see him every day. He is doing fine but we’re just walking in the hallway, so I cannot tell you, physically, how he is doing, but he is doing fine.”
Bowles did not elaborate what that timetable may be.
Joe assumes Bowles’ use of the word “fine” means for normal people he’s fine, just not fine enough to play an NFL game.
The whispers Joe has heard about McMillan are that it may be wishful thinking to expect to see McMillan in a Bucs uniform before the bye week, which is the first weekend of November. (Notice Joe has not used any absolutes or firm dates here.)
Neck injuries are dicey and most teams don’t want to monkey around with them a neck injury. So it sounds to Joe the Bucs very much want to err on the side of caution with McMillan.
That’s probably the smart and responsible thing to do.
September 14th, 2025 at 12:03 am
No need to rush. Plenty of WR depth
September 14th, 2025 at 12:17 am
Hopefully Bowles learns from this and keeps his starters on the bench in the preseason when he should be having the third string and peactice squad candidate get reps.
September 14th, 2025 at 12:28 am
FMDave beat me to it. Especially when the WR group was so competitive for the last few spots.
September 14th, 2025 at 1:35 am
Some people will find a reason to blame Bowles for anything that goes wrong with the team. A game could have a weather delay people would be on here blaming Todd and calling for his job. He’s not the best but he’s FAR from the worst we’ve had here.
September 14th, 2025 at 1:48 am
Weather delays are indeed Bowles’ fault. So is inflation and the declining polar bear population.
September 14th, 2025 at 2:22 am
I agree, the Bucs are careful and going by the book, bet he takes the brace off by now. Try to find out more Joe–get the interns on it.
September 14th, 2025 at 2:36 am
He’s a #3 or #4 receiver, in his 2nd year with 2nd o.c.
He needed the reps. Can’t blame Bowles on that one. He hung on to the ball too, great high point catch. Bit of a duck pass… Feel for the guy.
September 14th, 2025 at 3:37 am
He didn’t need the reps. Why would he need the reps? Did you watch Buccaneer football at the end of the season? It’s not that. It’s just a jack wagon practice squad cb that was trying to show out. Nothing more nothing less.
September 14th, 2025 at 4:23 am
Lol no point asking if you’re drunk.
September 14th, 2025 at 4:38 am
Let’s cool it with the “starters should sit out the entire preseason” rant. Why risk a Week 1 loss due to oxidation when each game has equal value in a mere 17 game schedule? Why not play well early and rest your nicked up starters at the end of the season after an early division clinch and a home field advantage?
Which team has made the most Super Bowls the past five ears? (Hint: they play their starters in the preseason).
There’s also a problem with prognosticating McMillan’s fate had he not suffered the neck injury. How can any of us know the future? Had he sat out the preseason, how do we know he wouldn’t been injured in Week 1 and been out for the season? Unlikely? Yes, but far from impossible.
September 14th, 2025 at 4:49 am
Agree to not mess around with a neck injury. Let Jalen rest and rehab. Get it right first. Go Bucs!
September 14th, 2025 at 5:13 am
Take the rest of the season if needed. Necks for wr, just like feet knees and ankles are serious too.
September 14th, 2025 at 5:16 am
Thank you Bowles for bring in Bridgewater
Thank you Bridgewater for allowing the Bucs to start season another WR down
Another reason Bowles shows his coaching greatness
September 14th, 2025 at 6:19 am
Let him take all the time he needs.
Neck injuries are nothing to sneeze at.
September 14th, 2025 at 7:03 am
I remember watching Redskin great Charley Taylor’s career come to an end in a similar scenario–(worthless preseason game) Caught a pass high over the middle, got hit same way as Jmac, broke his femur. He made hall-of-fame though
September 14th, 2025 at 7:04 am
I think it’s pretty ironic that people say to rest starters in the preseason…yet most people were complaining about it at the time.
Off topic…but I just got a year older a couple of days ago…and that’s my excuse for thinking we play tonight…
September 14th, 2025 at 7:25 am
I can’t tell you how he’s doing physically? You can, you just don’t want to. I’m sure the medical, and training staff give you reports on how injured players are physically. Anyway, he is doing fine according to Bowles, but physically Bowles is Sgt. Schultz, he knows nothing!
September 14th, 2025 at 7:46 am
Love Mcmilan. It will be great to have set of fresh legs rght about then I think.
Especially since we seem to insist on late season runs lately.
Go Bucs!
September 14th, 2025 at 8:05 am
Hodad
Let’s get your Dr in a press conference and have him divulge your medical history, or better yet your softball team coach.
Bowles isn’t required to divulge that, nor should he.
September 14th, 2025 at 8:30 am
He’s lucky he can still walk. His career is over. Hoping he hoarded his money.
September 14th, 2025 at 10:22 am
JMark, if Bowles doesn’t want to devulge medical info, just say so. Why say you don’t know how he is physically, of course he knows. Better question is why do reporters even ask him about injured players. When has he told the truth?
September 14th, 2025 at 10:26 am
I remember a certain Buc who was part of our recent Super Bowl team that broke his neck in a car crash in the offseason and still played that same year, although it was a month or two after the season started.
So, it ain’t impossible…
September 14th, 2025 at 10:29 am
That’s pretty low Jeff even for you.
September 14th, 2025 at 10:50 am
JMac’s injury had nothing to do with the QB or with Coach Bowles. It was Joey Porters hit on a defenseless receiver that caused it.
Correct me is I’m wrong, but isn’t a “hit on a defenseless receiver(targeting)” a penalty – 15 yards? The NFL is supposed to be enforcing the penalty for these kinds of hits.
September 14th, 2025 at 11:54 am
jcscycles I thought the same thing why the heck wasn’t that called regardless of its a preseason game or not
September 14th, 2025 at 11:55 am
Beeej Says:
September 14th, 2025 at 7:03 am
I remember watching Redskin great Charley Taylor’s career come to an end in a similar scenario–(worthless preseason game) Caught a pass high over the middle, got hit same way as Jmac, broke his femur. He made hall-of-fame though
================================
Wow……That’s really going down Amnesia Lane. Charley Taylor was an NFL great. Not many remember, but I do. Thanks for the memories.
September 14th, 2025 at 12:14 pm
The contact was incidental. JMac will be alright, and as long as we stay healthy so will we.
I always figured once we get him back, there’s going to be a lot of mixing and matching in our personnel usage between JMac, Egbuka & Godwin.
We can start putting Mike in those tighter splits and use that to open up coverages like we did this past Sunday.
Might not be our reality for now, but that “who do we double” gets harder for defenses the healthier our WR room gets.
Great quote from “Last Boy Scout” about Bruce Willis’ character, goes something like “Every lie has 80% truth” that’s Coach speak in a nutshell, not saying Bowles is lying but just because he’s not fully divulging doesn’t mean he doesn’t know, he’s just not telling the world and that’s cool. I want JMac back healthy and ready to go, we’ll 100% know when that time comes.
Til then, we wait
September 14th, 2025 at 1:39 pm
Fresh Legs for the Playoffs.
September 14th, 2025 at 1:56 pm
J-Mac is going to be fine. Mike, Emeka,and Shep will hold it down for now. What a luxury to have such a deep WR room. Chris and Mc Millan will be ready for a SB run. Go BUCS!
September 14th, 2025 at 2:38 pm
FortMyersDave Says:
Hopefully Bowles learns from this and …
1) Tells his QB to throw “safe passes” in preseason
and
2) Tells his WR to not catch “unsafe passes”
TB12 talks all the time about QBs knowing what passes will get your WR hurt and staying away from them. Bridge knows he messed up BIG TIME. I’m just shocked he never owned up to it.
September 14th, 2025 at 8:32 pm
It will come out that Jmac had a fractured neck. As far as him playing, he is still improving and needs to play. Most people would agree that Baker should of played in preseason. He was rusty the first 3 quarters.
September 15th, 2025 at 2:09 pm
I am a huge JMac fan and I absolutely hate this for him 😡
Prayers for a full and speedy recovery 🙏🏾