Dec 29, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (17) catches the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Dave Canales: Panthers WRs Xavier Legette, Tet McMillan have good chemistry

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated May 29, 2025 9:01 AM ET

The Carolina Panthers could've annoyed Xavier Legette with the selection of Tetairoa McMillan. Though it'd be hard to justify rolling into this season with an underwhelming year of Legette as the top weapon, Legette could've been upset about being replaced. He wasn't, though, calling McMillan a "masterpiece" and saying he knew that Carolina would pick him.

Now that they're together, they're proving that it wasn't a mistake. McMillan will probably push Legette to be better, but they're already friends and have great chemistry. OTAs have only been going on since the middle of this week, but it's as if those two have been together for ages.

“Even in routes on air, they’ll catch a ball, they’ll put it away, burst. And then they’re looking for the other one, they’re throwing it across the field, playing catch,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said via The Athletic. “For two young guys that we hope and expect to be here for a long time, it’s about enjoying it. It’s about having fun. This game is meant to be fun. And they’re also wired the right way where they’re grinding, they’re working hard and they’re studying it and it means something to them."

Canales believes that McMillan will help Legette shore up some of the struggles he had in his rookie season. “I think with T-Mac coming into the room, it’s just options. It opens things up and it creates a little bit of balance, where the field doesn’t tilt one way or the other,” Canales said. “So you have two guys who can make it happen outside and that’s a good thing.”

Legette thinks so, too. “I feel like it’s gonna be a problem either way,” he said. “I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a 1 or a 2. I feel like either side they look at, they’re gonna have to deal with both sides.” That's good news for Bryce Young, a QB who has long had lackluster weapons in the NFL.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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