Getty Devin Funchess #11 of the Green Bay Packers is unable to catch a pass against the Houston Texans in the first half during the preseason game at Lambeau Field on August 14, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
After nearly 17 months of waiting, the Green Bay Packers will not get the chance to see what veteran wide receiver Devin Funchess can bring to their offense after all for the 2021 season.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst announced Wednesday, August 25, that Funchess had been placed on season-ending injured reserve after the 27-year-old receiver sustained an injury during one of last week’s training-camp practices and needed to be carted off the field.
Funchess had been a leading contender to make the initial 53-man roster behind the Packers’ five solid-lock receivers. He caught six of eight passes thrown his way for 70 yards in the team’s preseason-opening loss to the Houston Texans and also came with an impressive amount of prior experience, having hauled in 164 receptions for 2,233 yards and 21 touchdowns over his first four seasons with the Carolina Panthers.
Funchess, however, has not played in a regular-season NFL game since breaking his collarbone in the 2019 season opener when he was with the Indianapolis Colts. After signing a one-year contract with the Packers in 2020 free agency, he chose to opt-out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then took a $750,000 pay cut to ensure he would have another opportunity with the team for 2021.
Instead, Funchess’ long-awaited comeback season is over before it even began.
The latest Packers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Packers newsletter here!
Which WRs Will Make Packers’ 53-Man Roster?
The Packers waited more than a year and a half to see whether Funchess could outfit their offense with another weapon, but his season-ending IR designation does open the window of opportunity wider for the younger receivers who have been competing with him for one of the final spots in the rotation.
Malik Taylor, who spent 15 games on the Packers’ active roster last season, would appear to be a safe bet for the sixth receiver spot after making a combined nine receptions for 116 yards in the first two preseason games. Taylor also played on 42% of special teams snaps (181) in 2020 and would offer their third phase an additional option in the return game behind rookies Amari Rodgers and Kylin Hill.
The rest of the picture is a little messier. While the Packers are solid at the top of the depth chart between Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Amari Rodgers, they may choose to keep seven wideouts for their initial active roster — or at least stash one or two on their practice squad. Taylor would seem to have a tight grip on the No. 6 spot, but Equanimeous St. Brown, Juwann Winfree, Reggie Begelton and rookie Damon Hazelton are all still in pursuit of a roster spot.
The Packers’ final preseason game could go a long way in determining who survives the 53-man roster cuts. They will kick off at 1 p.m. ET this Saturday, August 28, against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.
Packers May Waive IR Players With Settlements
Like any player who is placed on injured reserve before final roster cutdowns, Funchess is not eligible to return for the Packers in 2021 if he recovers before the end of the season. Players must be retained for a team’s initial 53-man roster and then placed on IR if they want a chance of being able to return at a later point in the year.
The Packers have already been forced to make a few other tough decisions regarding their IR list. Outside linebacker Randy Ramsey and veteran safety Will Redmond — two of the team’s top special teams contributors in 2020 — were each placed on injured reserve over the past few weeks of camp, while wide receiver DeAndre Thompkins and tight end Isaac Nauta also joined the reserves after trying to win roster spots.
The Packers, however, could technically free up some of their IR-designated players if one or more of them get healthier later in the season and they decide to waive them with an injury settlement. A player who is waived/injured and receives an injury settlement within five days is not subjected to waivers and can immediately sign with another team as a free agent. The player can also wait three weeks after receiving their settlement and chose to re-sign with their original team.
According to independent cap specialist Ken Ingalls, the Packers have more than $4 million in salary-cap charges sitting on their injured reserve list, so it c0uld make sense for them to explore injury settlements with some of those players at some point.
Update (5:37 p.m. ET): The Packers waived both Thompkins and Nauta with injury settlements later on Wednesday afternoon, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.