It was supposed to be his breakout year. Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans spent the whole 2024 offseason buzzing about Jalen McMillan, the third-round steal out of Washington who looked like a seasoned vet before he even played a regular-season snap. Then, August 16 happened.
During a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the world stopped for a second in Raymond James Stadium. McMillan went up, his legs got cut out, and he flipped. He landed right on his neck. Honestly, at first, it didn't even look like a season-ender. He walked off. The team called it a "significant neck strain." But as the weeks turned into months, the truth got a whole lot heavier.
The Shocking Reality of the Jalen McMillan Injury Update
For a long time, the Bucs were pretty quiet about the specifics. We just knew he was in a neck brace. Then, in November, Coach Todd Bowles finally let the cat out of the bag on the Ira Kaufman Podcast: it wasn't just a strain. It was a fractured neck.
Specifically, McMillan had fractured three vertebrae.
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Think about that for a second. We’re talking about a kid who was just starting his career, and suddenly he’s in a constrictive brace for three and a half months. He’s wearing it to shower. He’s wearing it to sleep. He later admitted to reporters that it was a "dark" time. Doctors told him he was lucky to be walking, let alone playing football. He was basically millimeters away from permanent paralysis.
- Initial Diagnosis: Severe neck strain (August 2024).
- The Actual Injury: Fractured vertebrae and herniated discs.
- The Gear: A hard neck brace worn 24/7 for over 100 days.
- Mental Toll: McMillan questioned if his career was over before it really started.
Why the recovery took so long
You can't rush a broken neck. The bone has to calcify, and the ligaments have to stabilize. If he takes a hit too early, it's not just a "setback"—it's a life-altering catastrophe. He spent most of the 2025 season on Injured Reserve (IR), watching from the sidelines while the Bucs' receiving corps got absolutely decimated by injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
The Triumphant Week 15 Return
Most people thought McMillan was done for the year. But the kid is a different breed. He got the green light from spine expert Dr. Robert Watkins in late November and started the grueling process of getting back into "football shape."
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He finally suited up in Week 15 against the Atlanta Falcons. It was emotional. He didn't just "participate," either. He caught two passes for 38 yards and almost scored on his first touch. Watching him take that first hit was terrifying for everyone in the stands, but for Jalen, it was the moment he knew he was back.
By Week 17, he wasn't just back—he was dominant. He posted a career-high 114 yards on seven catches against the Dolphins. He looked like the long-strider we saw at UW, using that innate feel for leverage to just disappear from defenders.
Looking Ahead to the 2026 Season
So, where do things stand now?
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The 2025 season is in the rearview mirror, and the good news is that Jalen McMillan is officially off the injury report. He finished the abbreviated season with 12 catches for 178 yards, but those stats don't tell the story. The story is that he’s healthy.
What to expect for OTAs
The medical staff has indicated that McMillan will have no restrictions for the 2026 offseason program. That is huge. With Chris Godwin's contract situation being a bit of a question mark due to his massive cap hit, McMillan is positioned to potentially step into a permanent Top-3 role alongside Mike Evans and rookie standout Emeka Egbuka.
- Full Participation: Expect him at every voluntary workout.
- Strength Gains: He spent months unable to lift heavy; 2026 will be about regaining that lost explosiveness.
- Depth Chart: He’s currently locked in as a primary target for Baker Mayfield.
The road from a fractured neck to a 100-yard game is a miracle of modern medicine and personal grit. Most players would have taken the year off. McMillan fought his way back into a brace-free life and reminded everyone why the Bucs were so high on him in the first place.
Keep an eye on his training camp highlights this summer. If 2025 was the year of survival, 2026 is shaping up to be the year of the breakout we were promised.
Actionable Next Steps:
Keep monitoring the Buccaneers' official transactions as they move toward the draft. If the team avoids taking a high-profile wideout in the early rounds, it’s a massive vote of confidence in McMillan’s long-term health and his role as a foundational piece of the offense. Monitor his social media for "return to lab" workout updates, which usually signal a player has moved from "rehab" to "performance training."