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Through two games, Hunter Renfrow has registered just one target, which ended up being a catch for 23 yards. Considering he has the fourth-highest cap hit on the Las Vegas Raiders ($13.1 million), per Over the Cap, the fact that he hasn’t been featured much on the offense is concerning.
While head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler weren’t the ones who drafted Renfrow, they were the ones who decided to give him a two-year contract extension last offseason. McDaniels doesn’t believe Renfrow is at fault for why he’s not getting featured.
“He should have got the ball more than he did yesterday,” McDaniels said during his September 18 media availability. “Hunter’s done his job the right way, and a lot of times the passing game is a factor of us doing the right thing, and also the defense gets a vote … there’s been some missed opportunities on our part but I don’t think that’s a function of Hunter.”
According to Pro Football Reference, Renfrow has been on the field for 39% of the team’s offensive snaps. He is just a season removed from catching 103 passes and making the Pro Bowl so his decline since McDaniels took over as head coach last season is something to keep an eye on.
Hunter Renfrow ‘Invisible’ in Week 2
The Raiders aren’t doing much to help any potential trade value with Hunter Renfrow. He had a bad 2022 season and isn’t off to a great start in 2023. ESPN put together a list of takeaways from Week 2 and Raiders beat writer Paul Gutierrez questioned what is going on with Renfrow.
“A week after not getting a single target for the first time in his career, Renfrow was again an invisible man,” Gutierrez wrote in the September 17 column. “The 2021 Pro Bowler, who caught 103 passes that season, was not targeted by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo until there were less than four minutes to play.
“There were at least a few other occasions in which Renfrow was running free but Garoppolo did not see him. If Garoppolo, who has more interceptions (three) than throws to Renfrow (one), does not want to become too predictable, he needs to get the receiver more involved.”
Renfrow was once a focal point of the Raiders offense but he hasn’t had a big game since 2021.
Hunter Renfrow Needs a Big Game
At this point, Hunter Renfrow’s struggles are a major talking point among the Raiders fan base. One way to help quiet that talking point is if he were to have a big game. The Raiders are hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3 and that would be an ideal time for Renfrow to break out.
Last season, he had four catches for 42 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers. Putting up those types of numbers would help calm the concern around him. Davante Adams is obviously the top wide receiver on the team and Jakobi Meyers already has a strong rapport with Jimmy Garoppolo. For whatever reason, Renfrow isn’t getting many looks from the quarterback. If he can’t figure things out, this may be his last year in Las Vegas. The Raiders can’t afford to pay big money to a wide receiver who isn’t involved in the offense.
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