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Is Jalen McMillan out for the season? When is Jalen McMillan coming back? The latest Jalen McMillan injury update and fantasy football outlook heading into Week 9 of 2025.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan (neck) suffered a scary-looking neck injury in the preseason, and hasn't taken the field sense.
We're now heading into the ninth week of the season, and though the Buccaneers have a bye week in Week 9, it's worth checking in on the status of the second-year pro.
He finished last season well after starting slow -- in the final five weeks of the season, he scored seven touchdowns and averaged over 19.8 PPR fantasy points per game. But will he play again this season? Let's dive in.
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Is Jalen McMillan Out for the 2025 Season?
It seems like he's not. That doesn't mean he's set to return, though. He continues rehabbing from a severe neck sprain that he suffered when he went up to make a reception. He was hit by a defender and turned upside down, landing on the back of his head, and his neck bent severely forwards as the rest of his body fell.
Obviously I hope this guy is OK.
Having said that, the ball definitely hit the ground. pic.twitter.com/fsCFABqR8i
— Obviously (Not) Tomlin (@Tomlin_Sense) August 16, 2025
It's completely understandable that he needs a lot of time to recover, and it's a miracle he didn't suffer a broken neck or something worse. But it will probably take some time. We don't have an official time table for his return, and he remains on injured reserve.
When he has his practice window opened, we'll at least know his comeback is imminent. But that won't happen this week due to the bye. Be sure to stay updated on this situation, as we could potentially see his window opened as early as Week 10.
Jalen McMillan 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
The Buccaneers drafted wide receiver Emeka Egbuka in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and it's pretty obvious by now that he's their No. 1 receiver. And we've seen rookie WR Tez Johnson play well -- he likely has earned himself some sort of permanent role on the offense.
When McMillan returns, he'll have to compete with Egbuka, Johnson, and veteran WR Chris Godwin (fibula), who's likely to return from his leg injury after the bye. Perhaps he will reprise his WR3 role, as Mike Evans (clavicle) remains on injured reserve with his broken collarbone.
Tez Johnson scores on the screen pass!
TBvsDET on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/fLNxdLnDPm— NFL (@NFL) October 21, 2025
Johnson has played well, though, so it's also possible that we see Egbuka and Godwin play the majority of the snaps while McMillan splits playing time with Johnson. According to my analysis, Johnson is the better receiver, but he's much smaller and perhaps the team wants to limit his playing time because of that.
If Godwin struggles to get healthy, we could see his playing time reduced, too. The reality is that it's very difficult to ascertain this situation, but there's a lot of competition McMillan will have to fight with to get consistent targets. At least the Buccaneers have one of the NFL's best passing offenses.
.@bakermayfield was COOKIN’ in Week 6 👨🍳
- 17 for 23
- 256 passing yards
- 2 TDs - 0 INTs pic.twitter.com/MPMCbTew4C— NFL (@NFL) October 14, 2025
McMillan can be speculatively stashed in 14-team leagues or deeper, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of upside on a week-to-week basis when he comes back. He'll probably be worked into the offense slowly -- he's missed so much time that it wouldn't make sense to rush him into a big role.
That's typically a ramp-up that's reserved for elite players, and this far in his career, he's far from that. If you're in a league with 12 or fewer teams, there's not much point in grabbing him, but make sure to watch his usage closely when he comes back.
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Popular Week 9 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 9 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Rico Dowdle, Kimani Vidal, Jordan Addison, Jordan Mason, Quentin Johnston compared to others:
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