49ers sign veteran WR Devin Funchess to practice squad

The 49ers have agreed to sign wide receiver Devin Funchess to a practice squad deal, via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. Funchess, once a rising star with the Panthers, has yet to see the field in 2021.

The Packers released Funchess in August with an injury settlement. Between that and his 2020 opt-out, Funchess’ Packers run came and went without him having ever played a down for Green Bay. His last action came in 2019 with the Colts, a stint that was really more like a cup of coffee. That season ended midway through Week 1, thanks to a broken collarbone. On the plus side, Funchess secured $10M in salary that year, plus some additional bucks from his terminated Packers contract.

The Panthers selected Funchess in the second round of the 2015 draft and watched him enjoy the best year of his career in 2017, compiling 63 receptions for 840 yards and eight touchdowns. Even though it took him 111 targets to get those 63 grabs, it was a glimpse of his future potential.

No one knows what Funchess has to offer at this point, but the Niners are eager to find out. There won’t be a whole lot of targets to go around behind Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle, but with Mohamed Sanu on injured reserve, Funchess could see some snaps ahead of Jauan Jennings, Trent Sherfield and/or Travis Benjamin.