Hunter Renfrow won people Fantasy NFL championships in 2021 as he produced one of the great seasons from a slot receiver.
The 5 ft 10 in technician hauled in 103 of 128 targets for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns.
A fifth-round pick in 2019, Renfrow made an immediate impact as a rookie for the then Oakland Raiders after racking up a respectable 605 yards.
While not boasting the prototypical X receiver frame, he was a sneakily good route-runner and drew the highest of praise from All-Pro Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James.
Asked to name the receivers who could hold up to Keenan Allen in terms of their technique, James named Tyreek Hill, Darren Waller, and Renfrow.
“(They) can change the game if you don’t gameplan ’em right. They can hurt you,” he told The Pivot.
James was asked if he really compared Miami Dolphins burner Hill to Renfrow.
“He different,” was the emphatic reply.
Renfrow’s 2021 season earned him a spot on the Pro Bowl roster alongside Hill, Justin Herbert, and Jonathan Taylor.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were reserves after a postseason run.
The Raiders speedster — who caught the winning score from Deshaun Watson in the 2017 National Championship after joining Clemson as a walk-on — bagged a touchdown pass from Mac Jones in the Pro Bowl.
His form earned him a two-year, $32 million contract extension in Las Vegas.
In Week 2 of the 2022 season, he had seven catches for 59 yards but fumbled twice with one recovered for an Arizona Cardinals touchdown in an overtime win.
Renfrow suffered a concussion on the play and missed seven games before managing just 25 receptions for 255 yards in 2023, while suffering from ulcerative colitis.
He was released at the end of the season.
“I felt so bad those two years, and I felt like I let my teammates down so much,” Renfrow said in 2025. “Because I had expectations. I just signed a new contract [in 2022]. I had a new coaching staff that I was going to be perfect for. And I was just a dud.
“I was like, ‘Man, I know I don’t feel well, but I do not want to play football again. Like, I do not want to let people down. I just want to go over here in my corner, do what I do, get into business.'”
It is a stark reminder of how easy it is to fall from grace in the NFL — especially for a low draft pick.
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Renfrow fell off radars for a while and took on a new role off the field.
The South Carolina Department of Commerce revealed that the 29-year-old was working as a recycling ambassador thanks to his Business Development role with ESS Industrial.
Hunter Renfrow signs with Carolina Panthers
In March, an X account called NFL Rumors claimed that Renfrow had officially retired from football.
But the wideout quickly shut down the report.
“Just when I thought about making a comeback I get hit with this bombshell,” he posted. “Guess I shouldn’t have started working out again 2 months ago lol.”
Renfrow has 186 receptions for 2,133 yards and 15 touchdowns in his career so far.
He joined the Carolina Panthers a day after the 2025 NFL Draft, before being released late in August.
That might have spelled the end for Refrow, but a week late promising wideout Jalen Coker suffered an injury.
Carolina immediately brought Renfrow back on a one-year deal, and with Adam Thielen returning to the Minnesota Vikings, he has a legitimate shot at taking the field as a weapon for QB Bryce Young.
Coker is expected to miss four to six games to start the season.
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