GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers receiver Devin Funchess, who had first-hand experience with COVID-19 this offseason while caring for family members with the disease, has chosen to exit the 2020 season.
The 26-year veteran was the only experienced addition the Packers made to his receiving body, which was seen as one of the few weaknesses in a team that made it to the NFC Championship last season. He signed a one-year, $ 2.5 million contract that included a $ 1 million signing bonus after a lost year with the Colts in 2019, when he suffered a clavicle fracture in Week 1.
Funchess canceled several scheduled media opportunities shortly after signing with the Packers because of what sources said at the time was the need to care for family members diagnosed with COVID-19.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Funchess said in part: “Members of my closest family have experienced the deadly impact of COVID-19 firsthand and for their own safety and mine, I have decided to opt out of participating in the Next NFL Season. This was not a decision I made lightly, but it is best for my family and myself at the moment. “
Funchess, whose best seasons came with the Carolina Panthers, was in the mix to compete to be the No. 2 or No. 3 receiver behind Pro Bowler Davante Adams. After signing Funchess, the Packers broadcast receivers in one of the deepest receiver drafts in history.
Funchess was placed on the reserve / exclusion list, allowing the Packers to retain him under the same contract for the 2021 season. The Packers also placed first-year outside linebacker Greg Roberts on the reserve / COVID-19 list on Tuesday. . Veteran Packers players briefed Lambeau Field on Tuesday for their first round of COVID-19 tests.
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