A warning to all parents of iPad children: maybe make sure your kids aren’t declining important phone calls while they’re watching ‘Bluey.’
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Hunter Renfrow almost had to learn that the hard way.
After the Panthers cut Renfrow to get to the 53-man roster threshold ahead of last week’s deadline, the team traded away veteran Adam Thielen and placed second-year wideout Jalen Coker on injured reserve. That opened up the door for the former Las Vegas Raider to re-sign with Carolina after a year away from football.
But Renfrow almost missed his chance to re-sign.
He told reporters Monday that his daughter declined 10 phone calls from Panthers general manager Dan Morgan, head coach Dave Canales and his (Renfrow’s) agent trying to get in touch with him Thursday about re-signing with the team.
‘They were all just ignored,’ Renfrow said. ‘My daughter was watching ‘Bluey’ or something; she ignored all of them.’
The veteran receiver said he eventually called back his agent and the Panthers to have the conversation about re-signing before agreeing to terms on Saturday morning.
Renfrow previously played five seasons for the Raiders between 2019 and 2023. He caught 269 passes for 2,884 yards and 17 touchdowns in that span before stepping away from football in 2024 to battle ulcerative colitis.
After joining the Panthers’ active roster, Renfrow will make his return to football in the 2025 season – now that he’s finally been able to answer the Panthers’ calls.