There was a moment during Monday’s practice when Carolina Panthers receiver Hunter Renfrow and head coach Dave Canales shared a laugh about how quickly things can change.
And in their case, everything changed fast.
On Tuesday, Aug. 26, the Panthers released Renfrow after the 2021 Pro Bowler had spent the spring and summer with the team. By Wednesday, his agent was fielding offers from reportedly multiple teams — all of them interested in bringing the 5-foot-10, 185-pound receiver onto their respective 53-man rosters. By Thursday, the Panthers came calling again. And then by Saturday, he was back on the team roster.
So come Labor Day, with Renfrow wearing his No. 13 in process blue, standing next to Canales on the practice fields in uptown Charlotte, the two shared a few words.
“You know, many are the ways of man and the plans you might have in your mind,” Canales said. “But God ultimately has a plan for how things work out. We kind of just sat there on the field and had a laugh: ‘A little different than how we pictured, but here we are, so let’s go.’”
There’s a lot that went into the decision to bring Renfrow back. A lot was thanks to the Panthers’ front office being so diligent in their “constant communication” with the 29-year-old receiver. Some came thanks to happenstance: Adam Thielen was traded, after all, and his heir apparent slot receiver Jalen Coker injured his quad so severely he was put on IR, opening up a roster slot.
But the other part of it dealt with Renfrow’s side. Would he want to come back? And if so, what would that look like?
Renfrow told reporters Monday after practice that it was “playing for the Carolina Panthers or probably nowhere else.”
Why?
“Just because this was home for me,” Renfrow said in front of his locker. “This is what I wanted to do. I’m a little hard-headed at times. When I was coming to go to Clemson, I had a few other offers, but I feel like that’s where God wanted me, for whatever reason. And so I walked on at Clemson. And I feel like He wanted me here for whatever reason now.
“And, you know, this could end tomorrow, right? But I’m just trying to be obedient to that. Trying to follow His path for my life. ... That’s what went into my decision.”
When asked, Renfrow didn’t disclose which teams were interested in him. He considers that immaterial now because he’s in Carolina — and the Panthers will certainly need him.
The losses of the team’s most productive receiver the last two years (Thielen) and the team’s most pleasant surprise of 2024 (Coker) hurts. Canales said that he told Renfrow to expect to play Week 1 given the state of the team’s receiver room.
“I was able to kind of come in over the weekend and just have a conversation with him and really reiterate the fact that, ‘I’m committed to this story. I’m committed to your story, here with the Panthers.’ And then all of a sudden, Jalen gets hurt, and it’s like, ‘Oh hey Hunter, you’re playing on Sunday. Right now. So let’s go.’ Just a lot of excitement about that for both of us.”
Here’s what else of significance matriculated from Monday’s practice.
Ickey Ekwonu still ‘day to day,’ opens up on his appendectomy
Ickey Ekwonu is still day-to-day, according to Canales, after undergoing emergency appendicitis last Sunday. The left tackle talked to reporters about the procedure and how he’s feeling ahead of their Week 1 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“It was kind of all over, in terms of stomach pain,” Ekwonu said. “It was nausea, stuff like that. Almost similar to a stomach virus at first. And then the typical stomach virus symptoms kind of went away, and just the abdominal pain was the most persistent and actually got worse and worse every day. That was the biggest red flag.”
Ekwonu’s father, Tagbo, is a physician and was the one who recommended his son get a CT scan.
Any chance you can play this week?
“We’ll see,” Ekwonu said. “We’ll see. I’m following the plan that’s set forth for me. I’m not going to rule anything out. I’m not gonna talk about return times, try not to be specific. I’m trying to go out and perform as best as I can until I’m ready to go, and then when I do come back, I am as healthy as I can be.”
Ekwonu worked out with running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) and Coker (quad) on the sideline on Monday.
Carolina Panthers select Bryce Young as one of three permanent captains
The Panthers announced their captains on Monday morning. Those guys: quarterback Bryce Young, defensive end Derrick Brown, long snapper JJ Jansen — and then a rotating captain that gets chosen each week.
This marks Young’s third consecutive captaincy and Brown’s second consecutive captaincy. JJ Jansen was also a captain in 2021 and 2022. This is the fewest permanent captains the team has had in a while, dating at least back to 2020. The years: 2024 (four), 2023 (six), 2022 (eight), 2021 (eight) and 2020 (six).
Canales explained the value of having a fourth rotational captain — and why it was one of the myriad things he got from his mentor, head coach Pete Carroll.
“He kind of looked for a way to celebrate and acknowledge somebody who has just given everything they got, contributing to the team, a team guy, exhibiting the play style that we’re looking for, the toughness, playing smart, really making a contribution,” Canales said of Carroll.
“We also have a scout team player of the week, for somebody we continue to see grow and develop and really treat every day like a championship moment,” he continued. “We reward the guys who look like Panthers football players. And the vision and the dreams that we have.”
Quick hits: Damien Lewis is back
Offensive lineman Damien Lewis, who has been practicing since Tuesday of last week in a red no-contact jersey, was wearing a normal uniform on Monday. He is working to overcome a shoulder injury he sustained in training camp. The news is uplifting for Panthers fans concerned about the left side of the offensive line given the uncertainty swirling around Ekwonu. Whether he is a full or limited participant will be made clear once the first injury report of the season gets reported by the Panthers on Wednesday.
Ryan Fitzgerald, the team’s only kicker on the roster, switched to No. 10 ahead of the Week 1 contest. Training camp quarterback Bryce Perkins wore the number before Fitzgerald.
Canales said the “offense won today” and that he was encouraged by that. The coach volunteered that the big play of the day was Young finding Xavier Legette on a “40-yard bomb” during team drills.
Tetairoa McMillan, the team’s first-round draft pick this year, was named to the Arizona Wildcats’ Ring of Honor during the opening weekend of college football. Canales shouted out his rookie wide receiver in the press conference.