The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without wide receiver Jalen McMillan for the first stretch of the season. McMillan sustained a "severely sprained neck" in their preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday and will land on injured reserve, according to theTampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud. Though an official timeline for his return isn't clear, McMillan may miss at least eight games recovering. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] If that's the case, McMillan could be back on the field for their Week 10 matchup against the New England Patriots on Nov. 9. The Buccaneers have their bye in Week 9. McMillan went down early in the team's 17-14 win over the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on Saturday. He jumped high to haul in an 18-yard catch in the middle of the field, but was hit from behind and flipped by Steelers cornerback Daryl Porter Jr. McMillan landed awkwardly on his neck, and then remained down on the field for quite some time in significant pain. He eventually walked off the field on his own, but did not return to the game. 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 power🙏🏽pic.twitter.com/1LhjytmHWM — Kenny Morales (@KennyMoralesTV)August 16, 2025 McMillan had 461 yards and eight touchdowns on 37 catches last season, his first in the league. The Buccaneers selected him in the third round of the 2024 draft out of Washington. While the injury could have been much worse — Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said it "shouldn't be" career threatening — McMillan will now start his second year on the injured list. The Buccaneers will also be without wide receiver Chris Godwin to start the season. He's currently recovering from a dislocated ankle, and has not yet been cleared to return. They will likely have to lean on Emeka Egbuka, Sterling Shepherd and Tez Johnson to fill the gap alongside star Mike Evans in the early stretches of the season. The Buccaneers, who went 10-7 last year and made the playoffs for a fifth straight campaign, will open the regular season against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 7.