Nearly one year ago to the day, Devin Funchess was one happy and excited young man. On April 2, 2020 the free agent receiver signed a one year, $2.5 million deal to play for the Packers. The deal could swell to $3.75 million with incentives.
After almost a year of being on the sidelines, this was opportunity knocking for Funchess. The number two and three wide receiver positions were wide open. Funchess was to compete for a job with a group that included Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown, and Malik Taylor, none of whom had established a lock at the position. None had his resume’ or his experience. He had to feel good about his chances.
Little did he know at the time there was an unseen enemy that would gradually work its way into the fabric of life for every American, a complication that would force him to make perhaps the toughest decision of his life.
At the time he signed his contract, he, along with the rest of us, was just beginning to hear about something called coronavirus. No big problem, he thought....we all thought. Everybody will wear their masks and stay home, the virus will be gone by the end of May, and the team will assemble as always for offseason workouts.
Except things didn’t unfold that way. The summer brought people out together in large groups, many longing for freedom from Covid protocols. The virus spread like wildfire. Offseason workouts turned into virtual learning sessions. No opportunity for Funchess to start catching passes from his new quarterback Aaron Rodgers. No chance to begin the process of gaining trust and creating chemistry.
By late July the NFL had cancelled preseason games. Covid-19 was jamming hospitals and contributing to deaths at an alarming rate. And for Devin Funchess, the threat got personal. Members of his own family had been exposed. As the deadline for opting out of the 2020 season approached, Funchess began weighing the risk of reporting to the team and possibly bringing the virus back to his already vulnerable family. The alternative was to sit out the season, to cede an entire year to his teammates who were vying for the same job.
On July 28, Funchess announced his agonizing decision on Instagram. “Family is first. Always has been. Always will be”, the post read. “In such unpredictable times, it’s been one of the constants on my mind as I’ve worked through one of the toughest decisions of my life. My closest family members have experienced the life-threatening impact of Covid-19 firsthand, and for their and my own safety, I’ve decided to opt out of the coming NFL season. This was not a decision I took lightly, but is what is best for my family and myself at this time.”
Funchess had to know this was not just about missing one season. He must have considered it might be the beginning of the end of his career, at least, his career with the Packers. Green Bay went on to a 13-3 season and the NFC championship game without him. Lazard and MVS established themselves as capable receivers and gained the trust of their quarterback, who went to them in several clutch situations. The pecking order was established.
Now this year everybody in the position group is back, with the prospect of the Packers drafting one or two more pass catchers this spring. For Funchess, one has to wonder if the train has left the station for him, if his chances of making the squad, in the minds of the coaches, have dwindled. Asked a few weeks ago if Funchess was in Green Bay’s plans for the coming year, General Manager Brian Gutekunst did not exactly give a ringing endorsement. “We have had some contact with Devin about being part of our squad moving forward”, Gutey said. Then, in his usual buttoned up, non-committal style, added “There’s a lot of moving pieces that kind of affect each other. We’re working through all that.”
Turns out, part of that contact the Packers had with Funchess was a request he take a $750,000 pay cut. Funchess had to know it wasn’t really a request, that the Packers were prepared to move on if he refused.
The former Michigan star knew what it was like to have his team move on without him. It had happened after 2019 in Indianapolis. Funchess had signed a huge one year, $13 million deal with the Colts, but in his very first game, he broke his collarbone. He was eligible to be reactivated by late November, but the train had left the station. The Colts declined to bring him back, choosing to sit him on injured reserve the remainder of the season, and then let him walk. Funchess never had a chance. The Colts had made up their mind.
It was an unexpected turn to a career that seemed destined for stardom. Funchess was a standout athlete for Harrison High School in Farmington Hills, Michigan. He was a top prospect in football, basketball and track. As a four star recruit, he turned down multiple college offers to stay home at Michigan where, by his sophomore season, he was already chosen as the best tight end in the Big Ten. His size at 6’4” and his great athletic ability inspired his college coaches to switch him to wide receiver. In his first game at his new position, he reeled in 7 passes for 95 yards and three touchdowns against Appalachian State.
He went pro after his junior year, and Carolina took him in the second round, number 41 overall. By his second year Funchess broke out with 63 catches for 840 yards and 8 touchdowns for a Panthers team that went to the Super Bowl, where it lost to Peyton Manning and the Broncos. The following season, 2018, Funchess’ numbers dipped a bit as he missed two games. That was followed by the Colts experience, and then the Packers opt out.
So, after basically two years of absence, with his career possibly in the balance, Devin Funchess looks forward to finally being a Green Bay Packer. He chose his family first, as most any of us would. We will soon see if his football family now wants him back.
April 05, 2021 at 06:00PM
https://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/devin-funchess-chose-family-over-football-now-he-faces-a-hard-road-back-739
Devin Funchess Chose Family Over Football, Now He Faces a Hard Road Back - Cheesehead TV
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