Former Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow returning to NFL with NFC team

Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow is returning to the NFL after taking the 2024 campaign off. The 29-year-old signed a deal with the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

"Comeback: Former Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow is signing with the Panthers, making his return to the NFL after a year away. "The ex-Pro Bowler and Clemson star joins his hometown team, as Carolina adds post-Draft. Deal done by mgcsports," Rapoport wrote on X.

Renfrow will join a Carolina wide receiver room that just added Tetairoa McMillan in the draft and also has Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette. Though he didn't play last year, Renfrow has a chance to make the Panthers' roster as a solid depth piece and veteran presence along with Thielen for a young roster.

The 2019 fifth-round pick of the Raiders was a Pro Bowler in 2021, as he snagged 103 receptions for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns that year as Derek Carr's top target. He wasn't very productive in his final two seasons in Las Vegas and was cut by the team during the 2024 offseason.

It's nice to see Renfrow back in the league, and we'll see if he can make an impact in Carolina's crowded wide receiver group. The South Carolina native is still a savvy route runner who could serve as a solid security blanket for quarterback Bryce Young, who is entering a make-or-break season in 2025.

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