Citing Family’s COVID-19 Battle, Funchess Opts Out of Season

“This was not a decision I took lightly but it’s what is best for my family and myself at this time.”

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers’ receiver corps, a weakness last season, has lost its top offseason addition.

Citing the COVID-19 battles of his “closest family members,” receiver Devin Funchess has elected to opt out for the 2020 season. The decision is final.

“Family is first. Always has been,” he wrote on Instagram. “In such predictable 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 first-hand and, for their own safety, I’ve decided to opt out for the upcoming NFL season. This was not a decision I took lightly but it’s what is best for my family and myself at this time.”

On March 24, Funchess and the Packers agreed to a one-year contract worth $2.5 million, a deal that included a $1 million signing bonus. At the time, Funchess’ agency offered an interview but the interview never happened and never was rescheduled as he grappled with his family’s health issues.

The 6-foot-4 Funchess, a second-round pick out of Michigan by the Carolina Panthers in 2015, has career numbers of 164 receptions for 2,265 yards and 21 touchdowns. Funchess, who will turn 26 on May 21, signed a one-year deal with Indianapolis last offseason but suffered a broken collarbone in the opener and missed the entire season. For the Colts’ $10 million investment, they got three receptions. In 2018, his final season with the Panthers, he caught 44 passes for 549 yards (12.5 average) and four touchdowns in 14 games. Drops have plagued his career, making this a chance for Funchess to help the Packers while helping his career.

The Packers didn’t draft any receivers, meaning they’ll go into training camp with mostly the same group as last year. They did add Canadian import Reggie Begelton and they’ll regain the services of Equanimeous St. Brown, who spent all of last season on injured reserve with an injured ankle.

Otherwise, they’ll have to depend on the same group that wasn’t up to the task last season. Allen Lazard emerged as the No. 2 receiver down the stretch. Lazard and Funchess presumably would have been front and center in the battle to be the top target opposite Davante Adams. Instead, it will be Lazard, St. Brown and holdovers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Jake Kumerow competing for snaps alongside Adams.

Funchess’ deal will carry over into next season, though the signing bonus will stick on this year's cap. In thanking the Packers, he wrote, “I look forward to getting back to work with them next season.”

Speaking last week, Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy said he would have played during a pandemic but would understand if players decided not to play.

"If people – players or staff – aren’t comfortable returning to work, absolutely they should have the right to opt out," he said. "We’ve had a number of our employees who have continued to work from home. In terms of the players, if a player is uncomfortable working for whatever reason or coming back and playing under these circumstances, absolutely they could opt out. I don’t anticipate that there’ll be large numbers, but we’ll see."

Meanwhile, outside linebacker Greg Roberts was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. After the former Baylor standout went undrafted in 2019, the Packers took the unusual step of guaranteeing $70,000 of his base salary. Unfortunately for Roberts, he had core-muscle surgery in the spring and spent the season on the physically unable to perform list before finally hitting the practice field for the first time before the Week 16 game against Minnesota.