In Weeks 12 and 13, several NFL players will wear special cleats for the first time this year. It's My Cause My Cleats back in action, and Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is taking part.
He partnered with Sharpie to pull the cleats off, but Sharpie has been there for more than just that. He has been with them since entering the NFL, and he spoke to Carolina Panthers On SI about that and much more from his rookie season.
Tetairoa McMillan
My Cause My Cleats | Sharpie
"I feel like I use Sharpie a lot, you know, obviously just signing autographs, doing stuff like that," McMillan said. "Just being able to put my name next to a big brand like Sharpie has obviously been a blessing, and they've been good to me."
He added that Sharpie has been there throughout his career for some "signature moments" like signing his first contract or signing autographs at the Boys and Girls Club. "And now My Cause My Cleats, being able to represent my family and my friends on my cleats," he added.
"One of the cleats is my grandma's homeless shelter in Hawaii," he explained. "And then another one of them... is my best friend that I played with at Arizona. So just being able to incorporate those and, you know, I had certain ideas, but obviously I'm not creative."
The Panthers wideout said he didn't know how he wanted the cleats to look, but he put it in the hands of Marcus Rivero, who utilized Sharpie to bring them to life. "He definitely incorporated all the ideas that I had into the cleats," McMillan said.
Tetairoa McMillan
My Cause My Cleats | Sharpie
The cleats will be on the field again in Week 13, which is when McMillan will resume his potential Rookie of the Year campaign. If the season ended today, he'd be an easy finalist, and he'd probably stand a good chance of winning the award.
But that doesn't ever come into consideration for McMillan. "Being able to be in that conversation and possibly winning is a blessing, but you can't win any awards if your team's not winning games," the wide receiver said. "So that's kind of just the main focus right now, just being able to be consistent, stack days and just win games."
While perhaps not at the highest level, the Panthers have been able to win games. McMillan wasn't there for the last two years, but assuming he and his teammates get one more win this season, then they'll tie the 2023 and 2024 Panthers in total cumulative wins.
The culture is finally changing, and McMillan's a big part of that. "I don't know what it feels like to be on the Panthers the last couple of years, but I know that it's different now," he admitted. "I'm just glad to be a part of a changed culture and a competitive team that wants to win and wants to get better every single day."
The former Arizona standout said the team is going to "continue to try our best" and try to win as many games as they can. Much of that, and much of the winning that's already transpired, comes down to how well he and Bryce Young have and will play together.
Tetairoa McMillan, Bryce Youn
Nov 16, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) shakes hands with wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) after a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
They have undeniable chemistry, something even non-rookies Jalen Coker, Xavier Legette, and other pass-catchers don't have with Young. This was apparent early on, even as the two worked out together before the Panthers even selected McMillan.
"I think it helps a lot (3:28) that we're both from the same area. (3:29) We're both from Cali," McMillan said."We both grew up playing against each other... We know what each other is capable of, and now we're fortunate enough to be on the same team."
McMillan went on to say that it helps that Young is "a real humble dude" who is also very competitive. He and McMillan complement each other "really well," according to the wide receiver. It hasn't all been positive, though, as this season has had its fair share of ups and downs.
One of the biggest lessons McMillan has learned through that is that losses can come so easily. "You know, you can lose at any moment. This league is so many ups and downs, so many wishy-washy moments," he said. "You can lose at any time."
An example of that came the night before this interview. McMillan scored his fifth NFL touchdown, but it was all for naught in a disappointing loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The offense, outside that touchdown, was largely silent.
And yet, they remain a half-game out of first place. The division is still very much up for grabs. How can they snag it? "Just be consistent, literally," McMillan said. "So many missed opportunities and so many games that we lost... whether we didn't start well or we didn't finish well or we didn't capitalize on certain moments."
Consistency is key, and McMillan believes he and his team will need to continue elevating to get into the playoffs. That starts with one crucial area of McMillan's game: Drops. He's been credited with six, one coming on a third down on Monday night.
Of course, drops aren't always avoidable. Some of the best players in the NFL, like Christian McCaffrey, Ceedee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Ladd McConkey have six or more drops this year. Still, it's something McMillan wants to clean up.
"I definitely dropped, like, routine catches. You know, I've never dropped this many balls in my life," the Panthers rookie said. "So that's just definitely something that, you know, I just got to... fix, for sure."
With those drops accounted for, McMillan is producing like a seasoned vet. He is 17th in catches among all NFL players. He is 11th in receiving yards. He is tied for 15th in receiving touchdowns with five.
Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legett
Oct 19, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) and wide receiver Xavier Legette (17) celebrate a touchdown in the second quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
An actual veteran, Adam Thielen, provided the rookie's welcome to the NFL moment. He admitted that seeing Thielen arrive to camp with his wife and kids illustrated the new level he was at. College players don't typically arrive with their families.
Thielen and McMillan never got to play an NFL game together, but the veteran wideout did help McMillan and the other young pass-catchers in the Panthers' receiving room. "He was definitely the main guy that I leaned on when I first got to the team, obviously being one of the oldest players on the team and then the oldest player in the receiving room at the time," McMillan said.
He also added that Thielen had so much knowledge and wisdom that he readily shared with his teammates, all of whom he wanted to see succeed. His work in that area, McMillan believes, has helped the two young receivers, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, get better.
"I think Adam did a phenomenal job as far as trying to help the young guys (5:43) and make sure that they succeed and they're successful in this game," he said. "So, yeah, I mean, although we're young, I definitely feel like we have a lot of talent, and we have what it takes to be a good receiving corps."
McMillan is a big part of that, because outside of Thielen in 2024, the corps was a little bit underwhelming. But thanks to the evolution of Legette and Coker and the arrival of McMillan, the future is very bright out wide.
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