Is Jalen McMillan okay? Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver to miss regular season time after ‘severe’ neck injury

Updated on: Aug 20, 2025 12:03 AM IST

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Jalen McMillan #15 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers warms up prior to an NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on August 16, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Joe Sargent/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Joe Sargent / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP) (Getty Images via AFP)

Jalen McMillan, the Buccaneers' wide receiver, will be sidelined for the regular season due to a severely strained neck, as announced by coach Todd Bowles.

Todd Bowles, the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, stated on Tuesday that second-year wide receiver Jalen McMillan would “miss time” during the regular season due to a “severely strained neck,” ESPN reported.

When McMillan leaped up to make a reception in the Bucs' second preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night, he landed clumsily on the back of his head and neck. After McMillan's collision with defensive back Daryl Porter Jr., his body crumpled in midair.

According to a ESPN source, McMillan was able to leave the field on his own after receiving medical attention and was then transported to a nearby hospital for assessment. He was allowed to travel home with the squad, but in a neck brace.

Is Jalen McMillan's injury serious?

The seriousness of the damage, which Bowles stated “shouldn't be” career threatening, was discovered during additional testing in Tampa.

McMillan, one of the Bucs' two 2024 third-round picks, topped the NFL in touchdown receptions during the last five weeks of the regular season with seven.

McMillan dominated the NFL with seven spectacular catches in the last five weeks of the regular season and was one of the Bucs' two 2024 third-round draft selections.

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Chris Godwin recovers from ankle surgery

Chris Godwin, a key wide receiver for the Bucs, is now on the active/PUP list while he recovers from ankle surgery.

“We're going to need guys to step up with Chris down and then Jalen going down,” stated Bowles. “A lot of guys have stepped up and we've got to see them step up even more. The depth was well-needed and we still have some decisions to make after this game against Buffalo.”

The Buccaneers are privileged to have a lot of depth at receiver even without McMillan and Godwin. Trey Palmer, Rakim Jarrett, Sterling Shepard, Kameron Johnson, and Ryan Miller are five players who have already played for the team during the regular season. The Bucs also picked wide receiver Tez Johnson in the seventh round. Johnson has just returned from an injury layoff and shown improvement during training camp and offseason workouts.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shweta Kukreti
Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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