This week was supposed to be a celebration for Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Instead, he's put himself in a pretty uncomfortable situation.
McMillan, the No. 8 pick from the 2025 NFL Draft, had 70 receptions for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns during his rookie season with the Panthers. He's the odds-on favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year at the NFL Honors ceremony Thursday night.
While the spotlight should be on McMillan due to his achievements, he's trending on social media because he used a racial slur on Wednesday night during a Madden challenge with internet stars YonnaJay and Tamir.
After hauling in the game-winning interception, McMillan shouted, "N----, pick. We won." You could tell YonnaJay and Tamir were stunned by his comment.
© Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images.
McMillan, who is of Polynesian heritage, issued an apology to everyone he offended this Thursday.
"Yesterday while on live stream I used a term I should not have," McMillan wrote on his Instagram Story. "There's no excuse for what I said - I sincerely apologize for speaking thoughtlessly and will do better."
NFL fans aren't ready to forgive McMillan.
"It's ok to forgive it but forgiving it and excusing it are 2 different things," one fan said.
"His agent most definitely told him what to say," a second fan commented.
"He only apologized because he was on camera," another fan replied. "That’s a word he uses everyday , he was just on a livestream when he said it."
McMillan will have to win back NFL fans' trust through his actions, not just his words.
We'll see if McMillan addresses this incident during Thursday night's awards ceremony.