Devin Funchess will not return to the Carolina Panthers

Devin Funchess tweeted out a video he recorded for the Cameo app. In that video he referred to himself as a “former Carolina Panther and now a free agent looking for a new team.”

The general expectation was that Funchess would not be back next year after his playing time was heavily reduced in the final weeks of the season. His season ended with him being a healthy scratch for the team’s season finale against the New Orleans Saints. This video all but confirms the speculation- we’ve seen the last of Devin Funchess in a Carolina Panthers uniform.

In his four seasons with Carolina, Funchess hauled in 161 passes for 2233 yards and 21 touchdowns. His best season came in 2017, when he took the number one wide receiver spot from Kelvin Benjamin and amassed 840 yards and 8 touchdowns on 63 catches. His numbers declined heavily in 2018 with his playing time decreasing as the season wore on. He caught just three passes for 33 yards in the team’s final five games.

His departure means some combination of D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel will be the Panthers’ top options at wideout, barring a major offseason acquisition.