Staggering reason Hunter Renfrow missed TEN phone calls from Panthers before making shock NFL comeback

Hunter Renfrow made a surprise return to the Carolina Panthers this weekend - but not before missing ten phone calls from the team due to a bizarre reason.

The Panthers opted to cut Renfrow last Tuesday however, after trading Adam Thielen and an injury to Jalen Coker, the team re-signed the wide receiver on Saturday.

However, things could have been very different. Renfrow revealed he missed multiple calls from Panthers chiefs as they tried to orchestrate the deal and, instead, was picking up a trailer at a recycling business in South Carolina.

Renfrow, 29, had left his phone in the car with his two young daughters, who were too locked in on their favorite cartoon to notice it was ringing.

'They were all just ignored,' Renfrow said. 'Bluey was on.'

That move came just days after Carolina had released the former Raiders star, citing he wasn't quite ready for the 53-man roster.

The Panthers traded veteran Adam Thielen to the Vikings shortly after, leaving a gap in the receiver room that Renfrow - with his knowledge of the playbook - was best suited to fill.

'It's been a whirlwind,' Renfrow admitted.

After earning Pro Bowl honors in 2021 with the Raiders, he was released in 2024 while recovering from ulcerative colitis - a serious autoimmune disease that left him out of football entirely.

Renfrow likened this new chapter to his first big break at Clemson in 2015 - which only came after star receiver Mike Williams broke his neck.

'The only reason I got to play at Clemson was because Mike Williams broke his neck,' he said. 'Which worked out fine for him because he went in the first round the next year.'

Renfrow went on to win two national titles with the Tigers and ranks fifth in school history with 186 career catches.

Now back in Carolina, he'll have an opportunity to revive his NFL career - and he's already got a good seat in the locker room, right next to starting quarterback Bryce Young.

'He told me about his deal last year and some things that happened,' Renfrow said of Young, who was benched early in his rookie season. 'He had a lot of perseverance stories to share.'