Getty Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels.
The Las Vegas Raiders are coming off of a Week 5 win over the Green Bay Packers but that doesn’t mean there won’t be possible changes in the near future if the team loses again. Wide receiver Hunter Renfrow has become invisible this season.
In five games, he has nine targets and six catches. He doesn’t have a role in the offense right now. It would be less concerning if he didn’t also lack a role on the offense last season when he had a career-low 50 targets. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Raiders are open to trade talks on the wide receiver.
“There have been whispers around the league that Josh McDaniels could be in trouble if Las Vegas doesn’t start winning, so this team is in win-now mode,” Russini wrote in an October 14 column. “Look for Las Vegas to get into the pass rusher market after releasing Chandler Jones. And league sources say they are trying to trade receiver Hunter Renfrow, whom they have used minimally this season.”
There’s a lot in this report from Rusinni but the Renfrow note is notable as it’s the first report suggesting that the Raiders are actively looking to move him. This comes just a year after the team gave him a two-year, $32 million contract extension.
Where Could Hunter Renfrow Get Traded?
Hunter Renfrow is coming off of a bad season and is in the midst of another one. His trade value may not be as high as it would’ve been during the 2021 Pro Bowl season. That said, there are plenty of teams that could use a player like him.
The New Orleans Saints would be the obvious choice. Former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has a strong relationship with Renfrow and the two played really well together. The Saints’ offense is struggling right now and giving Carr a wide receiver he has good chemistry with could help jumpstart the group.
The Carolina Panthers should also be interested. Rookie quarterback Bryce Young hasn’t had much to work with this season and the Panthers offense is struggling. Renfrow would give Young a dependable veteran who knows how to get open.
Josh McDaniels on Hot Seat?
The Hunter Renfrow trade rumors wasn’t the only notable thing to come from Dianna Russini’s report. She also suggested that head coach Josh McDaniels is on the hot seat right now. This is much different than last season when owner Mark Davis made it clear that he wouldn’t be firing the head coach.
So far, the owner hasn’t come out and said anything about the coach and has been seen arguing with fans. Unlike last year, McDaniels has his own hand-picked quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo, who currently leads the NFL with seven interceptions. The coach took over a team that made the playoffs in 2021 and has gone 8-14 since.
With a lack of options to take over for McDaniels on the current coaching staff, it’s still hard to imagine that he gets let go midseason but it’s looking like a real possibility that the Raiders could make a change after the season if things don’t start to improve.