Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who is up for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award at NFL Honors, apologized for using a racial slur during a live-stream video game event on Wednesday. McMillan shouted the words "n---a, n---a, pick" after making an interception during Streamer Bowl VII, a charity esports tournament. "Yesterday, while on live stream, I used a term I should not have," McMillan said in a statement posted to his Instagram story Thursday.
The NFC South hasn't had a Super Bowl contender since the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers made back-to-back appearances in the 2015-16 seasons. The division hasn't produced a double-digit regular-season winner in three of the past four seasons, with the Panthers limping to a wild-card berth after the Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints in the 2025 regular-season finale, eliminating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from the playoffs.
"Not everybody can do that," Carolina wide receivers coach Rob Moore said of McMillan's acrobatic prowess. "That's what kind of separates him from a lot of other receivers in this class."