There are few remnants remaining from the Las Vegas Raiders‘ 2021 playoff team. The franchise has undergone major coaching, front office and roster changes since that season and hasn’t been back to the playoffs since.
One key player from that playoff run was wide receiver Hunter Renfrow. During that 2021 season, he had 103 catches for 1,038 yards and was named to the Pro Bowl. The following offseason, he received a two-year, $32 million contract extension.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to replicate that 2021 success. He combined for 61 catches for 585 yards in 2022 and 2023. This led to the Raiders releasing him and no team signed him to play in the 2024 season.
It’s unclear if that was due to a lack of interest or because he wanted to take a year off. Well, it was recently revealed that Renfrow was getting back in shape for a comeback and there’s some interest around the NFL, including from his former team.
According to a March 28 X post from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Renfrow is meeting with the Raiders about a possible reunion and he’s already met with the Carolina Panthers. Renfrow is only 29 and doesn’t have a ton of tread on his tires. He should still have some juice left in the tank.
Should Raiders Sign Hunter Renfrow?
Renfrow clearly wasn’t a fit in Josh McDaniels’ offense. He went from being a very productive player in his first three seasons to being a non-factor in two years under McDaniels.
He had his best years in Jon Gruden’s offense so it’s difficult to know if he can still be productive in any other offense. Renfrow is a very strong route runner and a savvy player. He’s not particularly fast but he knows how to get open.
The price for him should be very low so there isn’t much of a risk in signing him right now. The Raiders are thin at wide receiver and adding a player who knows the franchise well would be a low-risk move.
Raiders Could Still Draft a WR Early
Even if the Raiders were to sign Renfrow, it doesn’t fully solve their need at wide receiver. At best, he’d be a WR3 or WR4. The Raiders don’t have a WR1 right now.
With options limited in free agency, the team could address the position in the draft. While it’s not their best option, Bryan DeArdo believes that Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan would be one of the team’s five best options with the No. 6 pick.
“If the Raiders want to use the No. 6 overall pick on a receiver, it’ll likely be Tetairoa McMillan, CBS Sports’ top-ranked receiving prospect,” DeArdo wrote in a March 28 column. “McMillan led the Pac-12 in average yards per catch as a freshman in 2022 and paced the conference with 1,319 yards receiving in 2024.
“McMillan is simply a nightmare mismatch for cornerbacks at 6-foot-5 and 212 pounds. He used his physicality to his advantage in college, catching 26 touchdowns in three seasons and averaging 16.1 yards per catch. He apparently also has the speed to complement his size after he reportedly ran a 4.48 in the 40-yard dash during a private workout.”
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