The Green Bay Packers signed wide receiver Devin Funchess in hopes it would shore up the group and could address other positional needs in the draft.
Now, thanks to COVID-19, those hopes will have to wait until 2021 to come true.
As first reported by ESPN’s Field Yates and later confirmed by the player himself on Instagram, Funchess is choosing to opt out of playing the 2020 season thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
In his statement on Instagram, Funchess said: “Family comes first. It always has been. It always will be,” noting that he has seen the COVID-19 impact “first hand.” He also thanked the Packers organization for their understanding and said that “(he hopes) work with them again next season.”
By choosing not to participate, Funchess will remain under contract with Green Bay for 2021 with his salary for tolls this year until next year, but he will not receive a stipend or a salary advance due to the injured reserve after week 1 of last year. His salary will also go towards the 2021 limit, but his training and signing bonuses will count towards this season’s limit.
As for the Packers, this leaves them back in box one on the wide receiver. The unit looks almost exactly the same as it did in 2019, minus Geronimo Allison. After taking some criticism for failing to recruit a wide receiver, head coach Matt LaFleur and quarterback Aaron Rodgers will have to deal with their existing cast while awaiting any late additions.
You can never blame a player for making a decision that puts his family above football and we here at APC want nothing but the best for Funchess and hope he lights up the field with the Packers in 2021.
