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Hunter Renfrow Reveals Why He Didn’t Consider A Return To Raiders

Originally posted on LAFB Network | By Ian Van Roy | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 4:39 PM ET

Las Vegas Raiders fans will never forget the season that Hunter Renfrow delivered in 2021 when he produced more than 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns.

In 2025, the wide receiver has the opportunity to produce a similar stat line for the Carolina Panthers. Renfrow had stepped away from football in 2024 due to a battle with Ulcerative Colitis, but has put that fight behind him.

Now back to football form, he had an on-paper chance to pick up where he left off in Las Vegas. Instead, he went with the Panthers.

Some have speculated that the wide receiver had worn out his welcome with the Raiders after back-to-back sub-350-yard seasons, but Renfrow revealed in an Aug. 21 interview with the Panthers why he chose the Panthers, potentially suggesting he rejected the Raiders in the process.

“Carolina means so much to me. Growing up in Myrtle Beach, going to Clemson, my wife going to Clemson, and so we just love it here,” Renfrow stated. “And then we went to the Raiders for… five [years] and had a great time out there. But, I love corn fields. I love seeing trees, seeing deer, and being around family. My family means so much to me. Just to be around them, be around my parents, it was an opportunity that if I was going to come back, it was going to be here. I love it here.”

So, it wasn’t about money or frustration with the Raiders. It was something much simpler: to get an opportunity to stay local.

After half a decade of sweating it out on the other side of the country, the wide receiver now appears to have earned at least one NFL moment in his own backyard.

Don’t Write Off A Hunter Renfrow Return Just Yet

Hunter Renfrow Reveals Why He Didn’t Consider A Return To Raiders 2 Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

While Hunter Renfrow passed on the Raiders this time around, it doesn’t mean he has worn the silver and black for the last time. The wide receiver is signed to only a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the Panthers (Spotrac), which does not save him from missing the cut.

With the preseason now wrapped for the Panthers, Renfrow missed the chance to have a huge breakout moment to solidify himself on the roster.

If the Panthers move on, and Renfrow earned enough of a taste to want a full NFL entrée regardless of where it is, the Raiders could be the next franchise he calls.

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It’s clear he’s a fan of the familiar, and Vegas is the only other NFL stop in which he has some level of familiarity. Of course, the roster and culture are remarkably different from the last time he was there.

That said, he still could put himself in a familiar living situation and go to work where he will know at least a chunk of the staff and roster.

If the Raiders have a surprising wide receiver cut in the coming days, a Renfrow-sized spot could open at the same time that he could come free from Carolina.

Lastly, Hunter Renfrow was added during the Jon Gruden era, so there could be some interest from Pete Carroll, another old-school coach.

Even if Hunter Renfrow sticks around for his one-year deal, he could also find himself giving the Raiders a call in March. Put simply, it’s a bit too early to close the book on the wide receiver’s career in Las Vegas.

This article first appeared on LAFB Network and was syndicated with permission.

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