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Is Jalen McMillan out for the season? Read the latest Jalen McMillan fantasy football outlook and injury update for 2025. Andy Smith breaks down whether McMillan should be drafted.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan had a slow start to his debut season in 2024 but quickly emerged as a reliable option in their passing attack during the back half of the season.
However, in the preseason, McMillan suffered a neck injury, which could keep him sidelined throughout the start of the campaign.
Will McMillan miss his entire sophomore campaign? When should fantasy managers expect him back on the field? Let's dive in!
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Is Jalen McMillan Out for the 2025 Season?
The second-year wideout suffered a strained neck during their second preseason contest and was placed on the injured reserve early in August. As a result, McMillan is not slated to miss at least the first four games of the season.
In addition, head coach Todd Bowles noted that the injury is quite serious and that he could be in danger of missing most of the first half of the upcoming season.
While he has not been ruled out of the season and will likely have a role down the stretch, fantasy managers should not expect him to return to the field shortly after his four-game absence on the IR. Given this report, he will likely not be in the mix to return until after the midway point of the campaign.
However, as of now, reports do not suggest he will miss the entire 2025 season.
#Bucs WR Jalen McMillan could be sidelined through the team’s Week 9 bye with his neck injury, per @NFLSTROUD.
The plan appears to be placing him on IR after rosters are set next week, giving him a chance to return later this season. The team is fortunate it’s not more serious. https://t.co/14aQPfWtgn
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 19, 2025
Jalen McMillan 2025 Fantasy Football Outlook
After catching just 13 of his 27 targets across his first eight games of his NFL career (Weeks 1 through 13), McMillan flipped the script over the final month. From Weeks 14 through 18 (five games), McMillan found the back of the end zone in each contest and averaged a strong 63.2 yards per game over this stretch.
During these five games, McMillan was able to emerge as a starting option with Chris Godwin (ankle) sidelined. He saw 6.2 targets per game and even posted two multi-touchdown performances.
However, when he eventually does return to the field this season, he could face much tougher competition for targets. Godwin is slated to make his season debut in October and will likely reclaim his role as the No. 2 option opposite Mike Evans. In addition, the Buccaneers drafted top wide receiver prospect Emeka Egbuka in the opening round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Egbuka is slated to open the season second on the depth chart and will likely revert to the third spot once Godwin returns. As a result, McMillan may make his season debut slated as the No. 4 option, which will significantly limit his upside.
While his worth stashing in deeper 14+ 3-WR formats on an IR spot, McMillan is not expected to carry much value in shallower leagues this season.
Baker moves in the pocket and delivers a dot to Jalen McMillan for the TD!
📺: #TBvsDAL on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/bMUjTBpSYr— NFL (@NFL) December 23, 2024
Who Should I Draft Tool
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