Two Carolina Panthers receivers, rookie Tetairoa McMillan and veteran Hunter Renfrow, delivered strong performances during the team’s Week 2 game against the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Arizona.
For McMillan, who was selected eighth overall in April’s draft, the game marked a return to familiar territory. He played college football in Arizona and grew up nearby in Southern California. Many of his family members traveled from Hawaii to attend the game.
“Being so close to, just—God works in mysterious ways, you know, just somehow my, second ever game in the league is pretty much a place where I spent the last three years, so it’s a homecoming for me,” McMillan said after the game. “It’s a close flight home, from Hawaii, so I’m fortunate enough to have both my grandparents here, my mom, pops, man, and it’s just a blessing, I can’t put it into words how grateful I am just to play in front of them.”
Renfrow also experienced a significant moment as he returned to scoring touchdowns after missing all of 2024 due to ulcerative colitis. Last week he made his season debut with limited production but found success on Sunday with two touchdown receptions that contributed to a Panthers comeback attempt.
“I mean, it’d been nice to have three and won the game, you know, but, yeah, I mean, it was good to be back out there,” Renfrow said. “It’s good to be with a group of guys that are going to fight, and so it was just good to be back out there.
“I think it’s good just to be back out there and try to feel like I can contribute. I think that’s one thing—kind of the two things I missed not playing football last year: one was not being able to contribute, and then that instant feedback, right?
“And so you get those in football, you get those with the team, and so it was good to be out there and lean on each other and fight and know right away if it was good enough or not.”
Despite their efforts—including Renfrow’s seven catches for 48 yards—the Panthers lost 27-22. The touchdowns were Renfrow’s first since January 7th of 2023; he had not scored during the previous season.
McMillan reached several milestones during his homecoming performance. He caught six passes for 100 yards—a mark no Panthers receiver has reached earlier in their career—and set a franchise record for most receiving yards by a rookie through two games (11 receptions for 168 yards). His contributions included explosive plays such as a 40-yard catch that shifted field position early on.
His mother expressed confidence before kickoff about her son’s potential impact: “Oh, don’t worry,” she replied when told what he needed for the record. “He’ll get 100 today.”
Afterward McMillan credited his teammates and coaches: “That’s all a credit to my teammates, my quarterback, and obviously, you know, the coaches… They always just have a good plan for this offense… We got to finish games… we’ll go in tomorrow [and] look over film…”
Quarterback Bryce Young praised McMillan’s work ethic: “I have a ton of faith in him,” Young said. “He’s someone who works really hard… throughout the week as well.”
Other contributors included tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders (seven catches for 54 yards), Brycen Tremayne (three catches for 48 yards), Chuba Hubbard (five catches for 39 yards plus a touchdown), and Tommy Tremble (three catches for 20 yards).
Young added: “I have faith in all my… entire receiving corps. We have a great group… we have what it takes on the outside too…”
