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David Newton
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hunter Renfrow’s phone was blowing up late last week while the soon-to-be-again Carolina Panthers wide receiver was picking up a trailer at a recycling business he helps run with his uncle in Woodruff, South Carolina.
Only he didn’t know it.
Blame “Bluey.”
Yes, the animated children’s television series played a role in Renfrow’s return to the Panthers, less than a week after he was released.
The 2021 Pro Bowler made the mistake of leaving his phone in his vehicle with his two young daughters during the trailer stop. During the 30 minutes he talked to others at the business, there were 10 missed calls from Carolina head coach Dave Canales, general manager Dan Morgan and his agent.
His daughters were too busy watching “Bluey” to answer.
“[The calls] were all just ignored,” Renfrow said.
Panthers WR Hunter Renfrow explains his path jack to the team. pic.twitter.com/owMhFc9ood
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) September 1, 2025
Just as the adventures of the Blue Heeler puppy in the series have become popular among preschool children, Renfrow’s adventures in the NFL have become popular among sports fans.
The 2019 fifth-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders out of Clemson went from a Pro Bowler to out of the league in 2024 while recovering from ulcerative colitis, an autoimmune disease that impacted his health to the point that the Raiders released him.
He began his comeback this past offseason with the Panthers, the only team he wanted to play for because he grew up watching them as a native of neighboring state South Carolina.
The comeback took a twist last Tuesday when Carolina released the 29-year-old receiver. Canales said at the time he didn’t believe Renfrow was ready for the 53-man roster, but made it clear he and the organization wanted the veteran back on the practice squad.
Then Carolina traded 35-year-old receiver Adam Thielen, whose traits closely resemble Renfrow’s, to the Minnesota Vikings. Thielen’s replacement, Jalen Coker, suffered a quad injury on Thursday that landed him on injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss at least the first four games.
Bringing Renfrow back made sense because he knew the system.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” said Renfrow, who agreed to return on a one-year deal on Saturday.
Renfrow likened the situation to the first opportunity he got to prove himself at Clemson in 2015 as a walk-on before going on to help the Tigers win two national championships.
“The only reason I got to play at Clemson was because Mike Williams broke his neck,” he recalled of Williams fracturing his neck when he ran into the base of the goal post against Wofford. “Which worked out fine for him because he went in the first round the next year.”
Renfrow went on to collect 186 catches, the fifth most in school history.
He hopes his story with Carolina ends just as well. He already has a pretty good spot in the locker room next to starting quarterback Bryce Young, who reached out to help convince Renfrow to return.
“He told me about his deal last year and some things that happened,” said Renfrow, reminding Young was benched after an 0-2 start. “He had a lot of perseverance stories to share.”
None involved “Bluey.”