Following Tyler Boyd’s one-year contract with the Tennessee Titans, the Cincinnati Bengals require a viable third wide receiver option behind Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. According to Randy Mueller of The Athletic, the Bengals could be the ideal landing spot 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 stated. “He could be a plug-and-play option.”
Renfrow, 28, spent the last five seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2021 after recording 103 receptions for 1,038 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Renfrow was released by the Raiders in March 2024 after only 61 receptions for 585 yards and two scores in the previous two seasons.
From Fifth-Round Pick to Pro Bowl Receiver
Renfrow rose to prominence as a walk-on wide receiver at Clemson, where he won two College Football Playoff national championships, including collecting the game-winning touchdown against Alabama with only seconds remaining in the 2017 CFP National Championship game. The two-time All-ACC selection won the Burlsworth Trophy as the country’s best player after starting his career as a walk-on in 2018 – Renfrow was only 5-foot-10 and 155 pounds as a true freshman.
Renfrow was picked by the Raiders in the fifth round (149th overall) of the 2019 NFL draft. He had over 600 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons before his breakout year in 2021, and the Raiders signed him to a two-year, $32 million contract.
Renfrow started only four games in the previous two seasons and missed seven due to injury in 2022, as the Raiders went 14-20 after reaching the AFC Wild Card Round in 2021.
Bengals Wide Receivers Facing Uncertainty
After placing the franchise tag on Higgins, the Bengals have seen drama at wide receiver. Higgins has requested a trade, been extended, stated he will play, and then demanded another trade. The Bengals hoped to solve some of the uncertainty at wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft by selecting Alabama’s Jermaine Burton in the third round (No. 80 overall), but there is no guarantee of success with a rookie.
Burton showed signs of talent at Alabama, as he led the Crimson Tide in receiving each of the previous two seasons. He completed 2023 with 39 receptions with 798 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns, averaging 20.5 yards per catch. Higgins acquired 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.
Higgins had career lows on receptions (42) and receiving yards (656) in 2023. He also had five touchdowns. He also missed six games, a career high, due to rib and hamstring problems. “We’re excited for Tee to have a great year for us,” Cincinnati head coach Zc Taylor told Pro Football Network’s Jay Morrison. “We believe he is our best chance at winning the Super Bowl. I’ve liked working with Tee for the past four years, and I expect this year to be no different.”
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