The Las Vegas Raiders signed wide receiver Hunter Renfrow to a two-year, $32 million contract extension in June 2022 as he came off his first Pro Bowl season. Less than two years later, Renfrow is a non-factor in Las Vegas and the team is seemingly exploring every avenue to trade him.
Renfrow, the 149th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, showed immediate promise as a rookie. The 5-foot-10 slot receiver turned 79 targets into 49 receptions for 605 receiving yards in his first NFL season. The following year, Renfrow snagged 56 receptions for 656 receiving yards.
- Hunter Renfrow career stats: 250 receptions, 2,688 receiving yards, 10.8 yards per catch with 17 touchdowns in 62 games
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In 2021, it all came together for the former Clemson Tigers star. Renfrow drew 128 targets, recording 103 receptions for 1,038 receiving yards with a career-high nine touchdowns. Las Vegas rewarded him with a new contract and he seemingly was destined to play the slot in Josh McDaniels’ offense.
Instead, McDaniels cut Renfrow’s snap rate down significantly and he made just one start in 10 games. After averaging 9.2 yards per catch in 2022, Las Vegas began shopping Renfrow around the NFL this summer. However, not a single team expressed interest.
Once the regular season kicked off, McDaniels and Raiders’ general manager Dave Ziegler continue shopping the former Pro Bowl offensive weapon to NFL teams. As they made calls, Renfrow was kept in a minor role that has largely kept him off the field.
With the 2023 NFL trade deadline now closing in, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports that the Raiders are still trying hard to find a trade partner for Renfrow. At this time, however, there are no reports of other clubs being interested.
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It’s not as if NFL teams aren’t willing to take a chance on a talented pass-catcher. Despite the fact that Chase Claypool lost the trust of coaching staffs with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears, the Miami Dolphins still made a late-round pick swap for him.
There simply doesn’t appear to be any kind of trade market for Renfrow. With how little the Raiders are using him, it’s possible the 31 other NFL teams are just waiting for the Raiders to bite the financial bullet by releasing Renfrow.