Hunter Renfrow missed Panthers callback from daughters watching ‘Bluey’

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hunter Renfrow‘s cellphone was blowing up late final week whereas the soon-to-be-again Carolina Panthers large receiver was choosing up a trailer at a recycling enterprise he helps run along with his uncle in Woodruff, South Carolina.

Solely he did not understand it.

Blame “Bluey.”

Sure, the animated kids’s tv collection performed a job in Renfrow’s return to the Panthers, lower than per week after he was launched.

The 2021 Professional Bowler made the error of leaving his cellphone in his car along with his two younger daughters throughout the trailer cease. In the course of the half-hour he talked to others on the enterprise, there have been 10 missed calls from Carolina head coach Dave Canales, normal supervisor Dan Morgan and his agent.

His daughters had been too busy watching “Bluey” to reply.

“[The calls] had been all simply ignored,” Renfrow mentioned.

Panthers WR Hunter Renfrow explains his path jack to the crew. pic.twitter.com/owMhFc9ood

— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) September 1, 2025

Simply because the adventures of the Blue Heeler pet within the collection have develop into standard amongst preschool kids, Renfrow’s adventures within the NFL have develop into standard amongst sports activities followers.

The 2019 fifth-round decide by the Las Vegas Raiders out of Clemson went from a Professional Bowler to out of the league in 2024 whereas recovering from ulcerative colitis, an autoimmune illness that impacted his well being to the purpose that the Raiders launched him.

He started his comeback this previous offseason with the Panthers, the one crew he needed to play for as a result of he grew up watching them as a local of neighboring state South Carolina.

The comeback took a twist final Tuesday when Carolina launched the 29-year-old receiver. Canales mentioned on the time he did not imagine Renfrow was prepared for the 53-man roster, however made it clear he and the group needed the veteran again on the follow squad.

Then Carolina traded 35-year-old receiver Adam Thielen, whose traits carefully resemble Renfrow’s, to the Minnesota Vikings. Thielen’s substitute, Jalen Coker, suffered a quad damage on Thursday that landed him on injured reserve, that means he’ll miss at the very least the primary 4 video games.

Bringing Renfrow again made sense as a result of he knew the system.

“It has been a whirlwind,” mentioned Renfrow, who agreed to return on a one-year deal on Saturday.

Renfrow likened the state of affairs to the primary alternative he obtained to show himself at Clemson in 2015 as a walk-on earlier than happening to assist the Tigers win two nationwide championships.

“The one purpose I obtained to play at Clemson was as a result of Mike Williams broke his neck,” he recalled of Williams fracturing his neck when he bumped into the bottom of the aim submit in opposition to Wofford. “Which labored out fantastic for him as a result of he went within the first spherical the subsequent yr.”

Renfrow went on to gather 186 catches, the fifth most at school historical past.

He hopes his story with Carolina ends simply as effectively. He already has a fairly great place within the locker room subsequent to beginning quarterback Bryce Younger, who reached out to assist persuade Renfrow to return.

“He advised me about his deal final yr and a few issues that occurred,” mentioned Renfrow, reminding Younger was benched after an 0-2 begin. “He had numerous perseverance tales to share.”

None concerned “Bluey.”