Update On Jalen McMillan
October 29th, 2026
Uncertain near-future.
KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles had an update yesterday for oft-injured wide receiver Jalen McMillan.
The update is … there is no update.
McMillan, who has been nagged by injuries in his Bucs three seasons, was hampered by a knee injury all training camp. He played in two games and was targeted just once in a loss to the Vikings.
Yesterday marked a full month after McMillan was placed on injured reserve with a sprained PCL (knee). At the time, the Bucs guesstimated McMillan would be out 6-8 weeks. The injured reserve designation means a player must sit out a minimum of four games.
So yesterday at One Buc Palace, Joe asked Bowles where McMillan stood in his rehab and maybe if the Bucs had a timetable to get him back.
Bowles shrugged and said he can’t guess when McMillan may return until he’s on the practice field.
“When they tell me he’s ready and he’s out there, that’s when I know he’s out there,” Bowles said. “Until he’s in uniform practicing. Status quo.”
In a follow-up question asking if McMillan is nearing a chance to get back on the practice field, Bowles said he doesn’t know.
“Couldn’t tell you,” Bowles said. “[Bucs medical staff] haven’t told me anything.”
This is sad because McMillan makes an impact when he’s on the field. And perhaps one reason why the Bucs’ passing attack is closer to pee-wee football passing than NFL football is McMillan not being there to stretch the defense?
McMillan, who Joe likes a great deal, is dangerously close to where Joe cannot bank on him. At all. Any game he plays is simply a bonus.
Of the 41 games the Bucs have played since McMillan was drafted in 2024, he’s only suited up for 19. That’s less than half.
No matter how talented a player is — and McMillan is talented — that’s too many absences to bank on him. As Bill Parcells would say, your best ability is your availability. McMillan isn’t available very often.
That’s not the way to earn a second contract with the team that drafted you.
October 29th, 2026 at 12:55 pm
I forgot she even existed. Out of site out of mind. I wish the best for her
October 29th, 2026 at 12:57 pm
Let’s not ding him for the time out with the neck injury.
October 29th, 2026 at 12:59 pm
I like JMac too
Sad for him and how his career has played out.
Praying he can resume his NFL career and enjoy success
October 29th, 2026 at 1:00 pm
Heal up soon JMac….
until then Tez will have to continue to step up
GO BUCS!!!!!
October 29th, 2026 at 1:01 pm
Bowles knows nothing as per usual. A natural leader of a franchise.
How’d we get so lucky to snag him before the Chiefs came calling????
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
October 29th, 2026 at 1:14 pm
He is a waste of roster space when he comes back because he will just have another injury. Bucs will need to cut him or trade him at some point.
October 29th, 2026 at 1:16 pm
“A 3rd string WR!? Sacks!?
Who needs em?
We are an interception and run the ball team.”
– Todd Bowles esq. (4-12 last 16 games)
October 29th, 2026 at 1:19 pm
SpaghettiandMeatballs Says:
October 29th, 2026 at 12:55 pm
Aggressively stupid and juvenile. You must be so proud of yourself.
October 29th, 2026 at 1:19 pm
Stretch the field? He’s slower than Hurst and Tez.
October 29th, 2026 at 1:26 pm
How quickly it seems a Joe forgets this young man almost died from a neck injury.
If you subtract the games he missed after being served up a death ball by Bridgewater, how many games has he actually missed? There is zero chance the Bucs are taking any chances putting him in unless he’s 100 percent.
October 29th, 2026 at 1:27 pm
@OurYear,
And Mike Evans is slower than all of them. I guess he couldn’t stretch the field. 🙄
October 29th, 2026 at 1:33 pm
Had forgot this guy even existed. Naturally at this point wouldn’t matter if he came back this year. Wait till there’s a new coaching staff and playbook next year
October 29th, 2026 at 1:46 pm
He seems to have a gift for getting open. I think he missed his final year at Washington, too.
October 29th, 2026 at 1:47 pm
bridgwater ruined him
October 29th, 2026 at 1:50 pm
Evans would be the same place he is now. On the bench injured. Now it’s not just hamstrings
October 29th, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Skunkape- you must be on skunk weed, because it was a bill parcells reference that he used toward an injury prone terry glenn. But – I was also half serious, and no I’m not sorry about either. Go have a good cry over someone you don’t know, I don’t care
October 29th, 2026 at 2:02 pm
YAWN…
Wake me when he finally isn’t injured.
October 29th, 2026 at 2:51 pm
Bowles has got to be one of the least proactive coaches in the history of football. All the hours he spends at One Buc, it doesn’t even cross his mind to ask for an update on one of his players?
October 29th, 2026 at 3:03 pm
Wait until Bowles finds out I have Kit-Kats for trick-or-treaters at my house!!!
October 29th, 2026 at 3:29 pm
Wouldn’t be surprised to see our pass game look better (not hard) without EE and J-Mac this week. I’m not sure, yet, that Z-Rob knows what to do with more than 2-3 pass catchers involved.
Get Ted involved early and feature Tez more with intermediate routes.
October 29th, 2026 at 3:32 pm
How quickly it seems a Joe forgets this young man almost died from a neck injury.
An injury is an injury. What, five years from now the Bucs need to keep a pity roster spot for McMillan because he got cheap-shotted by a piece of camp meat in a worthless game?
This is the NFL, not high school. Yeah it sucked he had a broken neck. Does that mean other teams are going to lay down for the Bucs?
Is Goodell going to give the Bucs an extra roster spot for another receiver because McMillan got hurt last year?