The Chicago Bears might have one of the top receiving trios in the NFL in 2024, with DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and first-round rookie Rome Odunze in the mix. If they still want to shore up the depth behind their new big three, a former Las Vegas Raiders veteran could provide a “low-cost, high-reward” solution.
Bleacher Report’s Joe Tansey recently suggested that the Bears sign 28-year-old Hunter Renfrow to a deal for the 2024 season, citing him as one of three experienced free agents the Bears “should pursue” before training camp.
The former Raiders veteran caught 103 passes for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021, but he struggled during the next two seasons, with only 61 grabs and 585 yards in 2022 and 2023. On March 13, the Raiders released him in order to free up salary cap space.
Still, Renfrow has more career output than all three Bears backup receivers combined, and he might provide Chicago with a more seasoned slot receiver as the team attempts to maximize new franchise quarterback Caleb Williams’ first season in 2024.
“Renfrow would only be needed for a few routes per game across the middle,” Tansey wrote on May 6. “If Tyler Scott or Velus Jones Jr. does not fit into the slot role, Renfrow could be worth the call to have on the roster for short-yardage situations.”
Would Hunter Renfrow Improve the Bears’ Wide Receiver Depth?
Cost would most likely not be a barrier for the Bears and Renfrow. Better possibilities have signed for cheap in the weeks since the NFL draft, including Tyler Boyd, who signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract with Tennessee on May 7. The Los Angeles Chargers also signed DJ Chark Jr. to a contract worth up to $5 million.
The Bears are unlikely to spend similar money on Renfrow, but they could seriously consider it if he is more open to a deal worth around $2 million.
The main question, however, is whether investing in Renfrow is required. The Bears lack experience behind their top three receivers, but Scott — a 2023 fourth-round pick — could be ready to step up after limited playing time as a rookie. He possesses the speed to be a weapon in the slot (4.44 seconds in the 40-yard dash) and the versatility to be useful on jet sweeps, even if simply as a diversion for the offense.
The depth behind Scott becomes increasingly worrisome. The Bears re-signed veteran Dante Pettis in March after he missed the entire 2023 season due to a preseason injury, although he struggled as a seven-game starter in 2022, when the team was in the midst of a rebuild.
Meanwhile, Jones has produced almost nothing offensively since the Bears selected him in the third round of the 2022 draft. In 26 career games, he has 17 carries for 154 yards and one touchdown, as well as 11 receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown.
If the Bears get through OTAs and believe that either Pettis or Jones will not cut it, signing someone like Renfrow may become more tempting to them.
The Bears could look for younger receivers than Hunter Renfrow.
Renfrow has his talents, but the Bears have recently signed their new franchise quarterback and may prioritize finding additional young talent to develop with him in 2024. For example, UDFA signing John Jackson III is close to Williams and played with him at USC during his Heisman Trophy-winning season in 2022.
Jackson transferred to Nevada in 2023 and finished as their most productive receiver with 35 catches for 267 yards, but their passing offense barely exceeded 2,000 yards, making it tough to estimate how he would do against the Bears’ roster hopefuls.
More possibilities may become available in late August, as teams finalize their first 53-man rosters for next season. As Jacob Infante of Windy City Gridiron noted out, two of Williams’ former USC receivers, Brenden Rice and Tahj Washington, are both listed as third-stringers on their respective teams’ preliminary depth charts. If either misses the cut, the Bears may want to reunite with Williams.
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