By JAKE FENNER, US SPORTS WRITER
Published: 08:58 EDT, 17 August 2025 | Updated: 09:00 EDT, 17 August 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans held their breath after an up-and-coming star suffered a frightening head injury in a preseason game on Saturday.
As they played against the Pittsburgh Steelers, second-year wideout Jalen McMillan ran his route to snag a pass from backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
McMillan rose up - jumping above Pittsburgh's defense to grab the pass. But, he was hit in mid-air by Steelers cornerback Daryl Porter Jr.
While the receiver held on to the 18-yard catch, he flipped in the air from the force of the hit and landed on his head.
After a few terrifying moments, McMillan was able to walk to the sidelines under his own power.
However, after a few minutes, he was eventually placed on a cart and was shuttled to the Bucs locker room.
Scary moment for Bucs WR Jalen McMillan. Makes a terrific catch but gets hit and lands right on his head.
Thankfully he would jog off on his own powerðð½ pic.twitter.com/1LhjytmHWM
— Kenny Morales (@KennyMoralesTV) August 16, 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan suffered a scary fall on Saturday
McMillan hit his head on the turf and laid on the ground for some time
McMillan walked off under his own power, but was eventually carted to the locker room for an evaluation. He was cleared to return to Florida with the team and was seen in a neck brace.
The team eventually ruled McMillan out for the game with a back injury and was also being checked for a concussion.
He was cleared to fly back to Florida with the rest of the team and was seen in a neck brace. According to ESPN's Jenna Laine, McMillan is set to undergo further testing on Sunday.
McMillan also posted a message to his Instagram story: 'God is amazing. Don't worry yall im str8.'
Last season, McMillan proved to be one of the top rookies in his class after being picked in the second round out of Washington.
He hauled in 37 catches for 461 yards and eight touchdowns across 13 games of action.
The Buccaneers have already had to deal with two major losses due to injury this year on the offense.
All-Pro offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (knee) and star wide receiver Chris Godwin (ankle) are both expected to miss some time this season.
Tampa Bay plays its final preseason game next Saturday when they host the Buffalo Bills. They will then open the 2025 regular season on the road on September 7 against the Atlanta Falcons.
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