NFL free agency 2024: What gives with Hunter Renfrow?

Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver hasn’t drawn much interest on free agent market

The natural assumption was once Hunter Renfrow hit the open market, the suitors would line up and the slot receiver would find a new home rather quickly.

Here we are three weeks since the Las Vegas Raiders released the slot dynamo back on March 13 and there’s nary a word on even visits for the veteran who heads into his sixth year in the NFL this coming season.

So what gives?

How did the 28-year-old go from a dynamic route-running and sure-handed wideout to an afterthought in his final two seasons in Silver & Black to generating seemingly little to no interest on the open market as a free agent?

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Clemson product arrived on the scene as a difficult to cover slot receiver as a fifth-round pick (149th overall) from the 2019 NFL Draft. After two seasons of steady production, Renfrow put forth a signature 2021 campaign where he was targeted 128 times hauling in 103 passes for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns. Dubbed “3rd & Renfrow” for his penchant to make plays on crucial third downs and having the utmost trust from then-quarterback Derek Carr, of those 103 receptions, 51 were for first downs. And the 80.5 percent catch rate, along with all those aforementioned stats, stand as Renfrow’s career highs.

That year merited a healthy contract extension for Renfrow — a two-year $32 million deal in 2022 — but since then, the wideouts freefall as a participant in the Raiders offense the past two seasons and eventual release have been expected. Looking at it from two fronts — the scheme head coach and offensive play caller Josh McDaniels installed and Renfrow’s unavailability in 2022 — may have been the biggest contributors to the receivers Raiders exit.

Thought to be a tailor-made fit for the Erhardt-Perkins offense McDaniels spearheaded as the long-time New England Patriots offensive coordinator due to his route-running, decision-making, and sure hands, Renfrow was an ideal type to succeed in a system that produced productive inside receivers. He showcased an innate ability to find soft spots in the defense and making defensive backs look foolish that the option routes built into McDaniels’ scheme should’ve resulted in heavy targets and potential production from Renfrow.

That didn’t come to fruition — not even close.

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Playing in only 10 games due to injury in 2022, Renfrow posted 36 receptions for 330 yards and two touchdowns and his biggest play coming on a heads-up special teams play where he sniffed out a Los Angeles Chargers’ fake punt. Then, in 2023, Renfrow snagged 25 passes for 255 yards and zero touchdowns. Even when McDaniels was canned, the natural assumption was Renfrow would come out of the dog house and become a regular contributor once more. The slot receiver’s biggest contribution this past year was a three-catch, 46-yard output in the Raiders’ 3-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13.

While Renfrow’s involvement in the offense did have an uptick when McDaniels was fired — 21 targets in the Bo Hardegree orchestrated offense top the 16 in McDaniels’ play calling — there was no sustained involvement and after losing a fumble against Minnesota, Renfrow didn’t register a single reception from Week 14 on and only saw three total targets over the final four weeks of the season. His snap count dwindled mightily after the Raiders’ 63-21 shellacking of the Chargers (42 percent in that game) to just 20, 16, and 5 percent the following three weeks.

That inability to get back in the mix seems to be the underlying cause for Renfrow to still be awaiting a new team as a free agent. And it was no surprise to hear or read the wide receiver being linked to the New Orleans Saints due to the rapport Renfrow built with Carr. And New Orleans does need another wideout. There’s also a number of other teams, such as the New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, or even the Carolina Panthers, that can use more talent in their respective wide receiver rooms. So the options are plentiful for Renfrow — if a team comes calling.

For the Raiders, maybe a reunion with Renfrow could happen down the line if the veteran remains available. But that ship appears to have sailed.

The team does have Davante Adams as the No. 1, Jakobi Meyer as a productive No. 2 and fleet-footed Tre Tucker who heads into Year 2, that can potentially play inside and outside, allowing Adams or Parker to roam the slot if needed.

Either way, with the amount of time Renfrow’s been available and apparent lack of interest, a flier one-year deal seems the destined result for the wide receiver.