Not every player in the NFL likes the sport of football, and not every player likes to watch film. This is known, but supposed to remain unspoken. Unfortunately, Tetairoa McMillan spoke it. He's been a popular pick for the New Orleans Saints in the 2025 NFL draft, but something like this can hurt his draft stock.
A video clipped from a 2023 podcast appearance has been making the rounds on social media. When asked if he liked football, the wide receiver quickly responded “No, not at all.” This extends to film as well. This isn’t a big deal to him, however, because he’s still getting film study done with the team. "I don’t ever need to watch it by myself because we go over it as a receiver group,” McMillan explained.
Football doesn’t have to be the most important aspect of your life, but teams have a history of being critical when it isn’t. Maybe McMillan has changed his stance in the years since he shared this statement. Maybe not. It's tough to say without asking him.
Player statements contradicting conventional beliefs isn’t new. A few years ago, Dallas Cowboys defensive back Xavier Woods got into hot water for saying it’s not possible to go full speed for every play. This is a great example of things being better left unsaid, even if true. It simply creates room for assumptions. For Woods, it led to questions around his effort. McMillan is a potential top-10 draft pick in the NFL draft, and his comments open the door for team personnel to question how invested he is in the game.
I’d love to hear the entire clip from Tetairoa McMillan to build some more context and making sure it wasn’t taken out of here.#DallasCowboyspic.twitter.com/Np47CmfFtm
— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) March 29, 2025
All of this depends on the evaluator, but this could change how high some teams are comfortable picking him. Moving to the NFL tends to require more mental investment for players. The ability to a question a player’s willingness to make that investment will impact teams in different ways, especially when talking about a top-10 selection.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints draft: Popular pick doesn't study film, but does it matter?
