Hunter Renfrow, the Las Vegas Raiders’ former wide receiver, is opening up the next chapter of his football journey. Along the way, he’s overcome tremendous health hardships from running introduced by ulcerative colitis. In fact, he lost from 185 down to a mere 150 pounds last year as a result of this affliction. This surprising development put his hopes of returning to the NFL in serious jeopardy. After failing to impress during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Renfrow was released by the Raiders. Now, he is waking up every day wondering if he’ll have a chance to play football again.
The 2021 season was the apex of Renfrow’s career. His solid performance last season earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl after setting a career-high with 103 catches for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns. By the end of that season, Renfrow was starting to feel “funky.” This alien physical feeling was a precursor to the health challenges that lay ahead. His symptoms became so severe, so quickly, that he made many trips to the emergency room with intense full-body inflammation.
Between late March and early April last year, though, Renfrow went through one of the toughest stretches of his career. It left him physically worn down from seven straight days of 103-degree fevers. During this time, he expressed how he felt, stating, “I just felt as bad as I could.” His production fell off a cliff in 2022, with a meager 36 receptions for just 330 yards and two touchdowns. The 2023 season was even more dismal, as he produced just 25 receptions for 255 yards and not one touchdown on the season.
Through all of these challenges, Renfrow’s resolve and persistence paid off with continued, steady progress in his health. By January, he felt well enough to resume rigorous workouts, allowing him to regain confidence in his capabilities as an athlete. So far, he has made it back to his playing weight of 185 pounds.
Renfrow has agreed to a new two-year, $32 million contract with the Carolina Panthers. He hopes to further upgrade the team’s receiving corps with the addition of 2025 first-rounder Tetairoa McMillan. Renfrow couldn’t be happier to be suiting up for the Panthers! He’s especially excited to work with quarterback Bryce Young, the first overall pick in the 2023 draft. For him, this open door represents a new beginning. It provides a prerequisite opportunity for him to make impactful contributions to his new squad.
Leave a Reply