Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is certainly glad that his go-to slot receiver got paid this past week.
After news broke Friday that Hunter Renfrow was rewarded by the Raiders with a new two-year, $32 million contract, Carr gave a heartfelt reaction to the former Clemson star’s well-deserved extension.
Carr couldn’t be happier for Renfrow, who is coming off a breakout season with the Raiders in 2021 when he earned his first Pro Bowl selection after setting career highs and ranking among the top 10 in the NFL in receptions (103) and receiving touchdowns (nine), while also leading his team in receiving yards (1,038) – becoming the first Raiders receiver to record over 1,000 receiving yards in a season since 2016.
“I’m so proud of him,” Carr said, via Fox 26 reporter Vanessa Romo. “He earned it, he worked for it. He works extremely hard, and happy for his family and his wife and his daughter. That’s life-changing things that he probably didn’t even think of when he was a kid, and now he’s just probably blown away. And I’m so happy for him, and he deserves every penny. Because I know he’s like a lot of people I know — he’s going to do a lot of good things with that money and help a lot of people.
“So, I’m happy for him, excited. And that’s why (Raiders wide receiver) Davante (Adams), (Raiders defensive end) Maxx (Crosby), myself, that’s why we did our contracts in a certain way so that we could get everybody to stay.”
Carr has a close relationship with Renfrow, having been teammates with him since Renfrow was drafted in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Raiders. He knows Renfrow very well and said the Socastee, S.C., native’s phone was “blowing up” with congratulatory text messages after his extension became public.
Carr knows the money from Renfrow’s new contract will be in good hands with a person that is beloved by many and will use that money to help make a positive impact in the lives of others.
“I’m just happy for him and his family,” Carr said, via Craig Kohlruss of The Fresno Bee. “And the community that he grew up in, I know him, and it’s going to impact a lot of people and it’s going to bring a lot of joy to some people. I know the kind of person that he is and the kind of people that support him, so as soon as it happened, his phone was blowing up.
“That man has more unread text messages than I’ve seen in anybody’s phone in my entire life. So, he just kept getting blown up, and that just shows you how many people… he was just getting overwhelmed by people just saying congratulations and things like that, and it shows you the impact he has – not only as a football player but as a human being.”
Last season, Renfrow became just the third player in Raiders franchise history to record 100-plus receptions in a single season. He is also just the second wide receiver to record both 100-plus receptions and 1,000-plus receiving yards in a single season.
A three-time Pro Bowler, Carr spoke about what makes Renfrow special and one of the reasons why the Raiders wanted to keep him in Las Vegas for at least the next two years.
“I think the unique thing about him is whether the ball’s in his hands or whether he’s running a route, we could all be in this tent and not one of us could touch him,” Carr said, via Kohlruss. “I mean, we could all try and play tag with him, and he’s going to win every time. It’s unbelievable how he gets from point A to point B. Really, he may not run the fastest 40, but the way he cuts and the way he shifts and the way he does things, the way he moves — it’s unbelievable. It’s really impressive.”
"I'm so proud of him. He earned it." – @Raiders quarterback Derek Carr responds to Hunter Renfrow's 2-year, $32M extension.
"That's why Davante [Adams], Maxx [Crosby], myself did our contracts in certain ways so that we can get everybody to stay." #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/v7XPSpSZMQ
— Vanessa Romo (@VanessaRomoTV) June 10, 2022
–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
