Todd Bowles Brags About Jalen McMillan
September 4th, 2026
Receiver Jalen McMillan.
Last year was a complete and total waste for Bucs receiver Jalen McMillan.
Thanks to a piece of Steelers camp meat headhunting to make a splash, McMillan broke his neck and played in four games. But he had a 100-yard receiving game against Miami in Week 17. He averaged a hair under 15 yards a catch.
Despite being starting this summer with a banged up knee, KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles hailed McMillan as one of the Bucs’ hidden stars.
“He makes a bunch of plays,” Bowles said during a recent appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Everybody doesn’t really get to see how good of a route runner this guy really is, and how much of a competitor he is.”
Now if only the Bucs can keep McMillan healthy …
Emeka Egbuka’s mysterious sprained toe (it may or may not be turf toe) is also a concern. NFL teams opening the season on Sunday, Sept. 13, are not required to offer injury information until Wednesday.
Joe was not comforted to learn yesterday the Bucs worked out two receivers. You only do that at a position unless if you think you may need to sign one. That tells Joe that either Egbuka or McMillan’s (knee) status for Week 1 at Cincinnati is in question.
McMillan, as Bowles said, is a helluva player. But unless he’s on the field, McMillan’s talent will continue to be untapped.
September 4th, 2026 at 7:44 am
that td catch he had from Baker the year before last, TB said it was a perfect throw and catch, dude is special, more of a vacuum than ee at this point, he even held onto the past that he broke his neck on. He’s freaking awesome.
September 4th, 2026 at 7:54 am
Expect big things from JMac this year
September 4th, 2026 at 7:58 am
What exactly is the knee injury? A sprain? Ligaments? Cartilage?
September 4th, 2026 at 8:02 am
Reminds me of Keenan McCardell who had some productive years with the Jags and the Bucs.
September 4th, 2026 at 8:10 am
Personally I wish we still had Sterling Shepard. And Christian Izien for that matter.
September 4th, 2026 at 8:19 am
Todd is selling tickets.
September 4th, 2026 at 8:46 am
Don’t blame Steelers camp meat, blame Todd for bringing in hospital ball Teddy.
September 4th, 2026 at 8:46 am
Not even week one and two starting WRs are banged up!? Man can we ever catch a break health wise
September 4th, 2026 at 8:47 am
Hopefully working out the receivers is just a precaution. The bigger concern is Ebucka. Turf toe can really linger and is easy to reinjure. This hopefully is not an issue the whole season. We need them both.
September 4th, 2026 at 8:53 am
@defense :
there’s a chance shep gets cut at some point this year and winds up back on our PS…and ready for elevation, as needed for baker…
as injuries always notch up during the year…
slim chance, but he could be back…you never know
September 4th, 2026 at 8:55 am
i would not be surprised if jmac is the teams leading receiver this year…
not saying he will be at all…but if he turns out to be, i wouldn’t be shocked…
will he get the targets is the real question
September 4th, 2026 at 8:59 am
The only person to blame for that injury is Bridgewater. As a defensive player… one looking to make the team you are playing for your future and livelihood. No way you just stand there and watch the guy make a catch and then potentially a bigger play. Why would anyone want that on tape?? Jmac probably shouldn’t have been playing and Bridgewater never should have made that throw.
September 4th, 2026 at 9:01 am
If healthy, top 5 receiving group. Meanwhile Evans out Week 1.
September 4th, 2026 at 9:06 am
Both guys are expected to be ready for game 1. Buka maybe a little iffy. Jmac bruise is apparently healed.
September 4th, 2026 at 9:07 am
Adam from NY says:
“There a chance Shep gets cut”
Yeah like 100% chance since he only lasted a week with the Texans before being cut.
Shep isn’t the answer.
They are fine with Godwin, Tez, Hurst. I like Patterson a lot too, who they could bring off the PS if needed
Let’s revisit this next week. I think Emeka will be ready to roll and it’s a moot point.
September 4th, 2026 at 9:10 am
Can’t even make it to the first week without this team annoying the f out of me
September 4th, 2026 at 9:20 am
only reason i say maybe bring shep in is because i figured he’d get cut, and no one would pick him up…
but he has value with us because he and bake are almost telepathic at this point…
he’s most likely not going anywhere if not tampa…and the team might not be catering to baker these days with the mexican standoff in regards to the contract…
shep is generally a good fit with bake as an emergency guy at any time if injuries rack up…he could even be like a nov. dec. type signing when teams are all depleted with injured bodies
September 4th, 2026 at 9:25 am
What happened to McMillan breaking his neck was a fluck. I recall Joe saying Bridgewater ‘sthrow put McMillan in harms way. Unfortunate accidents happen in football. Thankfully he healed from a serious injury.
Receivers are exposed to some nasty hits. TOM Brady was really good at placing the ball to protect his Receivers. The Bucs have a good quarterback in Mayfield who also makes throws that protect his receivers.
Hopefully he gets a 3 to 4 $50M plus contract. wins the NFC SOUTH and gets the Bucs deep in the playoffs.
September 4th, 2026 at 9:58 am
speaking of injuries Mike Evans has had 3 of them in the span of stepping on the field just a few times in training camp. Wait until real action starts. McMillan will out perform Evans this year, my hot sports prediction.
September 4th, 2026 at 10:12 am
This might be the season Garrett Greene actually gets in to a game. I know he dropped some passes in preseason, but he does get open, and the Bucs sill have faith in him, or he would not be on the PS.
September 4th, 2026 at 10:54 am
Godwin, J-Mac, & Hurst with Tez rotating….should be good to go while Meka’s toe heals. Hopefully relatively soon.
September 4th, 2026 at 10:57 am
Bucs should have signed Shep. The guy knew the system, was on the same page as Baker, and was consistent. He would have been the perfect insurance policy. While both EE and Jmac make splash plays, they are not consistent and no good to anyone when injured so much.
September 4th, 2026 at 11:24 am
I read all 37 pages of the Mike Evans thread on the 49rs version of JBF, at first they were furious that he got 3 years for $60 million, THEN they discovered it was really more like $14 mil, THEN they were mad about all the old people on the team, and the GM was an idiot… Pretty much like this place lol
September 4th, 2026 at 1:07 pm
McMillan and Egbuka are injury prone.
Hurst and Godwin are our Top-2 WR’s even if/when Egbuka and McMillan get back.
We just need Hurst, Godwin and Tez Johnson to stay healthy and we’ll be fine.
McMillan and Egbuka will each be a bonus when they are on the field.
September 4th, 2026 at 1:53 pm
McMillan seems to get wide open quite often, so he must be a great route runner. Subtle moves and shifts, like Evans.
September 4th, 2026 at 3:15 pm
Todd’s Not “selling tickets” concerning this guy…
This is something bowles and I can agree on. McMillans talent is Still untapped and when the guy finally gets back in there (hopefully THIS IS the year) he’s the kinda guy that Will steer you towards a super bowl! He can be perhaps a similar type of surprising force kinda like a “Nacua” type of special. The end of 2024 And a glimpse at the end of 2025 showed Just how special this guy really IS and Certainly can be. He only needs this year to go undamaged and he prove what we all believe..
McMillan IS Special. Perhaps somehow, someday, he can run into the mook who took advantage of a guy 10ft in the air that couldn’t defend himself and return the favor WITH INTEREST! Then again, McMillan’s continued success will be an even better way to get his pound of flesh from that dude.
You Know how the song goes… “I’d Like To spit some beechnut in THAT dudes eyes and shoot him with my ole 45”
September 4th, 2026 at 4:43 pm
Has J Mac ever played a full season in college or NFL? He has always been injury prone. I think the offense is really going to struggle this year.
September 4th, 2026 at 4:45 pm
McMillan’s mysterious knee is more concerning as he figures to start opposite Hurst with Godwin in the slot. Egbuka is typically WR4 when everyone’s healthy which would allow him to get his toe right with lower usage.
September 4th, 2026 at 4:51 pm
@defense rules
Our ideas should be read by Licht.
Izien shouid still be a Buccaneer instead of a Lion.
Ànd Sterling is the kind of psycho we need to offense.
He is tough as nails. He’s like a safety playing WR.
He loves to hit people and he isn’t scared of anyone.
Every offense needs a couple bullies to match the killers on the opposing teams defense.
We have not been the same since we lost Ryan Jensen: who was honestly one of the greatest centers I’ve ever seen play in the NFL.
Jensen was our leader. He wasn’t scared of anyone.
Every offense needs guys like Sterling and Ryan Jensen.
But our offense last year was SCARED. And defenses are like Florida sharks, they smell fear!
Even Wirfs is too nice. He doesn’t intimidate anyone. Barton is quiet. Bredeson is very nice.
Mauch and Goedeke have that killer instinct. Ànd Keift. But that’s it on offense.
1. Izien should still be a Buccaneer.
2. We kept 5 mediocre backup offensive lineman.
3. We lost Pyburn to tbe elite Chiefs.
4. Defenses love to hit our 3 running backs. None of them are punishing runnings backs who defenses hate to hit. On the contrary, they love to tee off on Bucky and Gainwell. Tucker is good. But not a thumper.
5. Why keep 5 MLB? Rozeboom and Dennis were good enough!