The NFL's 2024 league year has officially kicked off and the Las Vegas Raiders were busy making moves. As expected, the Raiders released quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. They also cut ties with former Pro Bowl wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, just two years after signing the pass catcher to a $32 million extension. QB Brian Hoyer and DT Jerry Tillery were also let go.
The 28-year-old Renfrow was due $13.7 million in 2024, but his release will save the Raiders at least $8.2 million against the salary cap. His expected exit is unsurprising from a football perspective, however, with Las Vegas already committing lucrative money to No. 1 receiver Davante Adams and last offseason signing fellow wideout Jakobi Meyers to a three-year contract.
A fifth-round draft pick out of Clemson in 2019, Renfrow quickly emerged as a reliable slot target in the Raiders' offense, eclipsing 600 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons. He earned his first career Pro Bowl nod in 2021, leading the team with 103 catches for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns. But injuries limited him to just 10 games the following year, and after Meyers' arrival, he saw an even more limited role in 2023.
Garoppolo, meanwhile, just arrived via free agency last offseason but was not long for the starting quarterback job, appearing in six games before his indefinite demotion. He's set to serve a two-game suspension to start 2024, and has essentially already been replaced in Las Vegas by the club's recent deal with journeyman Gardner Minshew.