Panthers WR Hunter Renfrow opens up about health scare that caused drastic weight loss and NFL season hiatus

Hunter Renfrow is back in NFL circles. The wide receiver did not play in the 2024 season, but he signed with the Carolina Panthers during the offseason and plans to make a comeback. His absence was noted by NFL fans, considering his previous play and age.

Renfrow, however, had a reason as he was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called ulcerative colitis, leading to weight loss, high fevers and fatigue.

In an interview with Darin Gantt for the Panthers website, published on Tuesday, the wide receiver shared more details about his condition.

"It kicked my butt pretty good," Renfrow said. "Last year, I fluctuated in weight; I went down to 150 pounds. I had like seven straight days of 103-degree fevers. It's tough to play when you're not feeling great."

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Hunter Renfrow revealed that he's looking to return to his best shape, with the 2025 season representing his official return to the league. He also noted how the experience changed his mindset for the upcoming season, saying:

"It's a weird feeling. It makes you grateful for the times that you do feel good, it makes you grateful for the opportunities that you've had, and when you feel like you've been blessed with some skill to go out there and perform, it makes you not want to waste the opportunity that you have. And that was one of the reasons why I wanted to come back and play."

Hunter Renfrow set to begin new journey with the Carolina Panthers

Hunter Renfrow signed a one-year contract with Bryce Young's team. While details haven't been released yet, he's likely to have signed for the veteran minimum, as he was absent from the league for a full season.

Renfrow spent five years with the Las Vegas Raiders from 2019 to 2023. The former Clemson wide receiver earned a Pro Bowl berth in 2021 after a season with 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns.

However, his production dipped heavily in 2022 and 2023, with under 600 receiving yards and just two touchdowns in these two seasons. While the Raiders decided to release him, many analysts couldn't understand the reason why he found no team in 2024. However, with this interview, all questions have been answered.

About the author

Henrique Bulio is an NFL and College Football journalist at Sportskeeda and the Editor-in-Chief of Pro Football Brasil. He has a total 13 years of experience working in American Football, and playing quarterback at an amateur level in Brazil has given him a unique perspective of the game.

Henrique follows the Philadelphia Eagles closely due to Michael Vick's historic performance on MNF against the Washington Commanders in 2010. His all-time favorite player is Ed Reed; he believes that Reed is the greatest safety to ever play the game. Bill Belichick gets the nod as Henrique's favorite coach for coaching the Patriots to glory over two decades.

If Henrique were to be able to go back in time and watch one game, it would be Super Bowl XLIX, where the Patriots and the Seahawks played a complete, back-and-forth game that concluded with one of the biggest talking points in NFL history.

Technical deep dives are Henrique’s specialty, and he ensures never to use misleading words in his articles, since he himself consumes a lot of information off the web. He has had the privilege of interviewing Cairo Santos, Lamar Jackson, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McDermott, Bruce Arians, Matt LaFleur, among others.

Aside from football, Henrique likes to play poker and Counter-Strike.

Know More

Panthers Nation! Check out the latest Carolina Panthers Schedule and dive into the Panthers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Ruth John S