© Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
Hunter Renfrow will suit up for the Carolina Panthers after all. The wide receiver was previously cut by the organization, but an unexpected injury situation has led to his return.
That opportunity was nearly missed due to his daughter’s affinity for the cartoon television series, Bluey. He seemingly ghosted the Panthers as they begged him to return.
Renfrow is an NFL veteran that pondered retirement after the preseason. He was dropped by Carolina come cut time, which he says nearly ended his playing days.
The pass catcher did not play in 2024 as he battled ulcerative colitis. He opted to give it one more go in 2025 with his hometown team.
Hunter Renfrow is a Carolina Panther.
Renfrow is from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, about three and a half hours outside of Charlotte. He played his college ball at Clemson, winning two national titles with the Tigers.
Renfrow has since spent five seasons in the NFL where he’s been a consistent offensive playmaker. With the Raiders, he totaled 269 catches for 2,884 yards and 17 scores.
His best output came in 2021 when he notched a 1,000-yard season in Las Vegas.
Now, he’s looking to make in impact in Carolina after missing the ’24 campaign.
@underdogfantasy This encyclopedia salesman has hands #hunterrenfrow #carolinapanthers #nfl #fyp
That pairing didn’t appear to be a probability just a few weeks ago. He was cut after appearing in two preseason games, only to be signed by the Panthers a short time later.
An injury to wide receiver Jalen Coker opened up a spot on the roster. He almost missed his shot!
Renfrow blames daughter for ghosting Panthers.
Carolina reached back out to the wideout following Coker’s placement on IR. They might’ve initially thought they’d been ghosted.
Renfrow says his daughter is to blame.
@nflonfox The newest member of the Carolina Panthers almost didn’t get the call because his daughter was watching Bluey 😂 #nfl #nflfunny #hunterrenfrow #bluey
“I had like 10 missed phone calls from (GM) Dan (Morgan), (head coach) Dave (Canales), and my agent,” he said in a recent interview. “They were all just ignored. My daughter was watching Bluey or something.”
Eventually, he got his phone back and saw the missed calls. He agreed to terms with Carolina over the Labor Day weekend.
Hunter Renfrow has been welcomed back by teammates. While he received other offers from teams around the league, he was only going to accept a deal with the Panthers.
His agent fielded calls from other teams after he was cut, but Hunter Renfrow was only interested in playing for Carolina.
“I was either gonna be here or not play.”#Panthers pic.twitter.com/xjlayWrDLA
— Sheena Quick (@Sheena_Marie3) September 1, 2025
Renfrow has now been added to the roster. Crisis averted. He might give his daughter an iPad next time he’s in between teams in hopes of avoiding a repeat scenario.