Getty Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow.
The Cincinnati Bengals need a reliable third option at wide receiver behind Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins after veteran Tyler Boyd signed a one-year contract with the Tennessee Titans.
The answer could be right out there, according to The Athletic’s Randy Mueller, who listed the Bengals as the perfect fit for former Pro Bowl wide receiver and current free agent Hunter Renfrow.
“The Bengals lost Tyler Boyd, who was a fixture in the slot the past few years, and there aren’t other options with previous production like Renfrow,” Mueller wrote. “He could be a plug-and-play option.”
Renfrow, 28 years old, played the last five seasons for the Las Vegas Raiders and was a Pro Bowl selection in 2021 with 103 receptions for 1,038 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns.
After compiling just 61 receptions for 585 yards and 2 touchdowns over the last two seasons, Renfrow was released by the Raiders in March 2024.
From Fifth-Round Pick to Pro Bowl Receiver
Renfrow shot to fame as a walk-on wide receiver at Clemson after he won a pair of College Football Playoff national championships, including catching the game-winning touchdown against Alabama with just seconds left in the 2017 CFP National Championship Game.
The two-time All-ACC pick won the Burlsworth Trophy as the nation’s top player who began his career as a walk-on in 2018 — Renfrow was just 5-foot-10 and 155 pounds as a true freshman.
January 9, 2017: Deshaun Watson finds Hunter Renfrow for a TD with one second left to give Clemson a 35-31 win over Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship game.
Renfrow was drafted by the Raiders in the fifth round (No. 149 overall) in the 2019 NFL draft. He had more than 600 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons before his breakout year in 2021, and the Raiders rewarded him with a 2-year, $32 million contract.
In the last two seasons, Renfrow only started 4 games and missed 7 games due to injury in 2022 as the Raiders went a combined 14-20 after making the AFC Wild Card Round in 2021.
Bengals Wide Receivers Facing Uncertainty
The Bengals have dealt with drama at wide receiver in the offseason after placing the franchise tag on Higgins, who has alternately requested a trade, extension, said he was going to play … then asked for a trade again.
The Bengals hope they addressed some of the uncertainty at wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft, when they picked Alabama’s Jermaine Burton in the third round (No. 80 overall), but that’s no guarantee of success with a rookie.
Burton showed flashes of potential at Alabama, where he led the Crimson Tide in receiving each of the last two season. He finished 2023 with 39 receptions for 798 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns — a whopping 20.5 yards per catch.
Higgins received the franchise tag from the Bengals despite coming off a career-worst season in 2023 — the tag will pay him $21.8 million in 2024.
In 2023, Higgins posted career lows in receptions (42) receiving yards (656) and touchdowns (5). He also missed a career-high six games with rib and hamstring injuries.
“We’re excited for Tee to have a great year for us,” Cincinnati head coach Zc Taylor said to Pro Football Network’s Jay Morrison. “We think he’s our best chance to help us win a Super Bowl. I’ve enjoyed working with Tee the last four years and expect this year to be no different.”