NFL journeyman wide receiver Devin Funchess has signed with the Detroit Lions and will move to tight end. The former University of Michigan wide receiver returns to the state where he played college football, but this time at a different offensive position. Funchess will likely compete for a backup role and will attempt to make the regular season roster. His last regular season action was with the Indianapolis Colts in 2019. He opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 and was placed on injured reserve in 2021. Both of those seasons he was with the Packers before spending some time on the San Francisco 49ers practice squad.
Lions announced they have signed former University of Michigan wide receiver Devin Funchess and moved him to tight end. pic.twitter.com/myT2rQt3gv
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 14, 2022
In 2019 with the Indianapolis Colts, Devin Funchess played just one regular season game where he caught three passes for 32 yards. For his career, mostly in his four years with the Carolina Panthers, he caught 164 passes for 2,265 yards and 21 touchdowns with one lost fumble. It has been a long time since the wide receiver has laid any meaningful minutes, but purpose a return to Michigan is the right way to restart.
Devin Funchess with a nice tip drill catch in practice #PanthersCamp ????
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— Def Pen Sports (@DefPenSports) August 12, 2017
For now, it is unclear if Devin Funchess will play any regular season snaps or even make the final roster. Missing that much time paired with a position change could be too much to overcome for the former wide receiver. Time will tell in the Lions training camp and Def Pen Sports will follow the stories heading toward the start of the 2022-23 NFL season in the fall.
