When the Carolina Panthers traded veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen to the Minnesota Vikings, most fans thought Hunter Renfrow would come back into the fold. Whether that was on the active roster or practice squad remained debatable, but almost everyone thought this scenario would become reality.
That wasn't the case. Renfrow wasn't included on Carolina's practice squad after his release. No other offers have been forthcoming, which immediately came with speculation that his career comeback was about to end almost before it began.
Renfrow made some impressive strides this offseason. It took a while for the Pro Bowler to find his football legs again after so long away from the gridiron through illness. But for all the flashes, the Clemson product just couldn't make a big enough impression during the preseason.
Carolina Panthers are giving Hunter Renfrow time to consider his options
That was the ultimate tipping point. What the future holds for Renfrow is unclear, but head coach Dave Canales didn't sound hopeful that the wideout would be back, or that the Panthers would even want him to return.
"I want to be able to count on Hunter [Renfrow] to be as good as he was the whole time. And I just saw some peaks and then I just saw some dips also in terms of his performance, and I just felt like, in fairness to the whole group, in fairness to the team, I wanted to make sure that he knew I wanted to be a part of your future. I don't think right now is the time initially for this team, and so he just kind of said, you know, I have to think about what I want to do, and so we're in communication right now."Dave Canales via Panthers.com
Renfrow gave it a shot, and things didn't work out as everyone had hoped. What he needs to figure out is whether making his way from the practice squad is worth the effort at this late stage of his playing journey.
That's the topic of conversation with his family and agent right now. Reports suggested Renfrow didn't want to play for anyone but Carolina. He wanted to be close to home and be part of what Canales and Dan Morgan are trying to build. But all signs point to this being highly unlikely.
The Panthers are moving forward with their youth movement in the receiver room. Long-time Canales loyalist David Moore is the new veteran leader when many thought he'd be cut in favor of Renfrow. That didn't happen, and there's a good chance he'll now walk away from the game entirely.
Renfrow deserves credit for fighting back in the face of adversity. But unfortunately, the stars were not aligned in his favor.