NFL receiver Hunter Renfrow eyes return with new team, opens up about major health setback

NFL wide receiver Hunter Renfrow signed with the Carolina Panthers implicit the play and is hoping to marque his instrumentality to the shot tract this play aft a wellness diagnosis sidelined him past year. 

Renfrow, 29, signed with the Panthers connected Sunday, In an interrogation published connected the team’s website, Renfrow opened up astir his erstwhile wellness struggles, which kept the erstwhile Clemson standout retired for the full 2024 season. 

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow earlier the San Francisco 49ers crippled astatine Allegiant Stadium connected Jan. 1, 2023. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA Today Sports)

"It kicked my butt beauteous good," Renfrow said, revealing that helium was diagnosed with the autoimmune condition, ulcerative colitis. "Last year, I fluctuated successful weight; I went down to 150 pounds. I had similar 7 consecutive days of 103-degree fevers. It's pugnacious to play erstwhile you're not feeling great."

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In summation to fevers and value loss, Renfrow besides struggled with fatigue. 

"It's conscionable trying to get back, trying to get healthy, trying to bash thing I love," helium said of his betterment and training. "I enjoyed different parts of life. We had our 2nd daughter, truthful enjoying that and conscionable wanting to marque definite if I'm going to travel backmost and springiness my clip and attraction to thing that I was going to beryllium each successful connected it."

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow is tackled during the New York Giants crippled astatine Allegiant Stadium connected Nov. 5, 2023. (Kyle Terada-USA Today Sports)

Ulcerative colitis is an "inflammatory bowel illness (IBD) that causes inflammation and sores, called ulcers, successful portion of the digestive tract," according to the Mayo Clinic. The symptoms typically make implicit clip and tin sometimes pb to "life-threatening complications."

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While determination is nary cure, attraction tin greatly trim the effects of ulcerative colitis. 

"It's a weird feeling. It makes you grateful for the times that you bash consciousness good," Renfrow said of his wellness journey. "It makes you grateful for the opportunities that you've had, and erstwhile you consciousness similar you've been blessed with immoderate accomplishment to spell retired determination and perform, it makes you not privation to discarded the accidental that you have. And that was 1 of the reasons wherefore I wanted to travel backmost and play." 

Renfrow was drafted by the Raiders successful the 5th circular of the 2019 NFL Draft. He hauled successful 269 receptions for 2,884 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns crossed 5 seasons with the organization. 

Kansas City Chiefs information Mike Edwards tackles Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow astatine Allegiant Stadium connected Nov. 26, 2023. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA Today Sports)

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Renfrow joins a stacked receiver room, which includes seasoned wideout Adam Thielen and 2 first-round picks, Tetairoa McMillan (2025) and Xavier Legette (2024). 

"I privation to effort to beryllium a large teammate and effort to spell retired determination and vie with immoderate friends," Renfrow added. "I haven't met a ton of radical present yet, but I ideate there's unbelievable radical and an unbelievable radical of guys present that I'm excited to vie with."

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