It’s probably fair to say that nobody was more excited to return to practice for the Bucs as the team began its OTAs in 2026 than third-year wide receiver Jalen McMillan. The former Washington product went through the ringer last season with a scary neck injury he suffered in the preseason. McMillan was able to get through it and returned to play in the final four games at the end of the season. Now he’s focused on moving on to bigger and better things in 2026.

Getting to participate in OTAs and catch footballs from quarterback Baker Mayfield and Co. can be a great feeling when one has been through what McMillan has experienced. So even just being able to take the field, catch the football and chop it up with his Bucs teammates felt like a win in its own right.

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan Has New Lease On His Football Career

“I am happy,” Jalen McMillan said earlier this week. “Just to be out there and to catch balls from Baker and just to run on my feet, I feel good…I am definitely taking appreciation for the small things and celebrating small wins and call my mom and dad every day. I am not taking any relationship for granted, so life has been good.

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Photo by: Cliff Welch P/R

“I had to sit in my bed and wonder, ‘Is my neck going to heal correctly? So, as soon as I was given the opportunity to play again, I knew that I could not look back and there was no time to be nervous and no time to be thinking about anything.”

Don’t let the joy think that he’s just happy to be here and that’s it, though. What has made McMillan a special is his ability to fight. Whether that’s fighting for the football on a jump ball or a getting into it with an opponent, McMillan’s bulldog mentality has helped him reach some extraordinary levels.

Who can remember when McMillan made his return last season during the Thursday night game against the Falcons? Sure, that game will be recognized for what happened late in the game, but early on McMillan made a catch at the goal line slamming into two defenders that then led to a touchdown soon after. Later on, McMillan shoved Falcons cornerback Cobee Bryant for flipping his teammate upside down in almost similarly to how McMillan was flipped when he suffered his neck injury in the preseason.

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan and Falcons S Xavier Watts – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

During each of those instances, it could be easy to forget that this was McMillan’s first game in several months. He was able to snap right back into game made and didn’t necessarily need more time to get comfortable playing again. Two weeks later, McMillan had a game where he recorded seven catches for 114 yards in his best game of the year. He gets a full offseason to work on his craft, fully ready to go pedal to the metal.

Bucs WR Jalen McMillan – Photo by: Nathan Ray Seebeck -Imagn Images

“Jalen’s tough. His mental toughness is unbelievable,” head coach Todd Bowles said. “His competes and his competitiveness, the way he attacks the ball, the way he fights for every route and tries to get open and wants to be ‘that’ guy,” you know, that gives you a lot of confidence that he’ll be doing that in the games.”

A full season of McMillan can be great for the Bucs. It would not be a surprise if he were to be a breakout star for Tampa Bay with his skillset combined with his mental fortitude and high level of competitiveness.