It has been a while since former Green Bay Packers tight end Devin Funchess was in the NFL. He spent a few weeks with the franchise in 2020 as he was attempting to convert to tight end from wide receiver.
It was a change that did make some sense, as Funchess possessed the size teams are looking for at the position. Standing 6’4” and weighing 225 pounds, he certainly looked the part of an NFL tight end.
However, he didn’t receive much of a chance with the Green Bay Packers or another team. In 2022, he attempted a comeback with the Detroit Lions, but he was released during final cuts in August ahead of the regular season.
That was the last transaction that Funchess was involved in as an NFL player. It was tough not being involved in football anymore, but while finding ways to occupy himself, he found a new passion; basketball.
“So, I was just [playing basketball] to kind of cope with something that I never had to deal with—being away with football…then it was just like, this was an outlet for me to think of all the different possibilities,” Funchess said.
Athletic enough to play in the NFL for five seasons, Funchess quickly realized he could make a career out of basketball, too. So, that is what he did and it has paid off.
The Michigan product recently signed to play with the Caribbean Storm Llaneros of the Professional Columbia Basketball League. According to the Carolina Panthers’ article published on their website, Funchess is the first NFL player to ever sign a professional basketball contract.
That is quite an impressive feat for Funchess, who turns 30 later in May. In the middle of his athletic prime, it is great to see him find another passion after his NFL career came to an end only five years after he was a second-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
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