The Carolina Panthers are celebrating, and Twitter is confused. Tetairoa McMillan has officially won the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award, proving that elite route running, monster catches, and game-changing plays still count, even when the internet is mad at you.
Yes, Tetairoa McMillan.
The same player who had social media in a chokehold earlier this season after a controversial livestream moment that quickly went viral. The clip spread fast. Think pause, rewind, group chat, repeat. The word choice? Bad. The timing? Worse. The screenshots? Forever.
And yet, here we are.
McMillan won the award after receiving 41 first-place votes following an impressive season in which he caught 70 passes for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Panthers wide receiver clinched the title ahead of the likes of Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson and Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart.
McMillan becomes the first Panthers player to be named as the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year since quarterback Cam Newton back in 2011.
Just hours before receiving the award in San Francisco, McMillan had issued a groveling apology for using the N-word during a livestream on Wednesday night.
The Panthers star was competing in the Streamer Bowl, a special event ahead of this week’s Super Bowl between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
McMillan was paired with internet stars YonnaJay and Tamir as part of the challenge that saw him play as his Panthers team on the football video game Madden.
After intercepting an opponent’s pass, which handed his team victory, McMillan launched himself off the couch and shouted ‘N*****, N*****, pick. We won.’
The bigger takeaway? Modern athletes live in two worlds, the field and the feed. You can dominate one and still get cooked in the other. McMillan learned that lesson early, and very publicly.
Congrats to Tetairoa McMillan. The talent is real, the spotlight is unforgiving and the internet? Still undefeated.
