Hunter Renfrow being left off the Carolina Panthers' 53-man roster was somewhat surprising. The door hasn't been shut on a potential return to the squad, but the path to having him around isn't as clear-cut anymore.
The Panthers let Renfrow go despite his flashes over the summer. Dave Canales stated that the consistency just wasn't where it needed to be. Dan Morgan wants him back, especially after trading Adam Thielen to the Minnesota Vikings, but Carolina isn't the only club in the running for the Clemson product.
Teams now know that Renfrow is healthy. They know he's had a full offseason to hone his skills and reach peak fitness levels. And according to Tom Pelissero from the NFL Network, the veteran Pro Bowler is mulling over several offers before taking the next step.
Carolina Panthers face a waiting game with Hunter Renfrow that could have been avoided
Morgan had control of Renfrow's fate. He doesn't anymore, so the front-office leader is giving the wideout time to think things over before deciding on his future.
"I told him I want him back here. I talked to his agent, I talked to him. We're in constant communication. Nothing's imminent, but we're going to stay in contact with him, and we'll try to figure something out to bring him back here. I think we're still trying to decide that. Hunter, I think, is thinking through things, looking at different options, so I think right now it's really up to him with what he wants to do, but we would definitely like to have him back here at some point."Dan Morgan via Panthers.com
If the Panthers wanted Renfrow to stick around, they could have gone about it better. Maybe the Thielen trade negotiations taking time impacted their thought process. Maybe the team didn't think there would be much interest in Renfrow. Either way, the ball isn't in their court.
The Panthers are moving forward with their youth infusion. David Moore is the veteran leader in the wide receiver room. Bryce Young's most dependable pass-catcher is gone, so there were undoubted benefits to keeping Renfrow around.
It's a waiting game for the Panthers, but this could have easily been avoided. But the fact that Renfrow revealed this offseason that the preference would be playing closer to home means they are not out of the race just yet.
Whether Renfrow wants to force his way up through the practice squad might be the biggest stumbling block. And if he gets a roster offer from elsewhere, he'd be foolish not to consider the possibility.
Watch this space...