Adams and Funchess: Two Very Different Perspectives
Packer receivers take opposite approaches to Covid 19 threat.
By KenLass
By the end of this week the Green Bay Packers will be on the practice field. Through pooled media coverage, it will be our first chance to see the entire squad in action.....with one notable exception.
On July 28th newly signed receiver Devin Funchess revealed he had informed the Packers he was opting out of the 2020 season. On Instagram he posted "This is not a position I took lightly but it's what is best for my family and myself at this time."
Fast forward one week. Funchess' fellow receiver Davante Adams is holding a Zoom news conference. "I definitely weighed all the options", he says. "Obviously here I am today. I have no plans of opting out at this point."
So who made the right call? That is a question that cannot.....and should not..... be answered.. Both players have families. Both are taking a huge risk. For Adams, the danger is obvious. He is risking being exposed to the Covid 19 virus by being in close contact with other players, and then spreading the virus to his family.
For Funchess, the risk is more subtle, but present nonetheless. All of the other receivers in camp now have an entire season to establish themselves on the roster . By this time next year the Packers could well be set at the position and there may no longer be a spot for the former Carolina Panther. Funchess is also tolling his salary after signing a one year deal worth $2.5 million. The financial risk is mitigated by the negotiated deal with the NFLPA that allows Funchess to keep his one million dollar signing bonus. He will also receive a $150,000 stipend as part of the opt out arrangement.
But his future with the team is anything but assured. As the only player to opt out, he also opens himself up to public criticism, and maybe even private resentment from his teammates, some of whom may feel the decision was unnecessary. Yet he concluded the threat of sickness was too great. "My closest family members have experienced the life-threatening impact of COVID-19 first hand", he posted. "Family is first. Always will be. In such unpredictable times, it's been one of the constants on my mind as I've worked through one of the toughest decisions of my life."
Certainly the choice was just as difficult for Davante Adams. As one of the top players in the league at his position, and with his spot on the team solidly in place, Adams could have opted out without concern of losing his value. But after going through all the same concerns as Funchess, Adams reached a very different conclusion. "I truly believe that it is something we cannot necessarily run from, so with all the options weighed and everything taken into account obviously I'm here and I decided to play........I love the game. I love my teammates. I've put a lot into this."
Does this mean Funchess loves the game and his teammates less? Or that Funchess puts his family higher than Adams? Of course not. Both decisions are courageous and honorable.
Adams expressed his satisfaction with the protocols the Packers are taking to protect the players. All the testing, all the sanitizing....."It's definitely going to take some getting used to." But the all-pro receiver added that the protocols "give you a little peace of mind to at least know that the club, if not the NFL, is doing everything that they can to make sure that you stay safe."
Devin Funchess did not have that peace of mind. So he will watch while the 2020 Green Bay Packers battle through the season.
Two players who play the same position for the same team, making critical decisions that may take their careers in very divergent directions, Adams to even greater heights at the risk of sickness, Funchess to safety at the risk of professional obscurity.
Having to make that kind of tortuous choice is the harshest impact COVID-19 is having on the NFL.
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Ken Lass is a former Green Bay television sports anchor and 43 year media veteran, a lifelong Packers fan, and a shareholder.
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Comments (10)
mnbadger
August 09, 2020 at 06:53 pm
Ken, thank you for sharing opposite decisions from the same perspective, without offering judgment. Players are making the same decisions all citizens are, like us, they come to different conclusions. In 24 months, we can look back in hindsight with accuracy to tell us what was the best way to deal with it. For now though, GPG!
ricky
August 09, 2020 at 06:56 pm
I think that each person has to decide for themselves how much they're willing to risk during these trying times. Not only football players, but all of us. When fall comes around and if we have the choice to keep our kids at home or send them to school, what choice is the right one? Should you have a get together with guests? These are all very personal questions, and if anyone wants to doubt Funchess for opting out, that is their right, But I believe that doing so is simply wrong.
PeteK
August 10, 2020 at 09:24 am
Absolutely , and respect others by wearing a mask when shopping or in crowded public areas.
stockholder
August 09, 2020 at 07:20 pm
Nice of him to show up. Time to buy a Devante Adams Jersey.
PatrickGB
August 09, 2020 at 08:19 pm
I can see both sides of the issue. I do not fault either side. I only wish others would be less dogmatic. It’s an individual decision for these football players.
splitpea1
August 09, 2020 at 09:06 pm
A very good article; I respect both player's decisions, but this just gives us a little more reason to root for Davante and appreciate his contributions to the team. He's already proven he's a warrior with some of those hits he has endured in the past.
Thegreatreynoldo
August 10, 2020 at 02:32 am
The elephant in the room is that Davante Adams has $12M in base salary due this season. He turns 28 in December and 29 in December of 2021. He is scheduled to be a free agent in 2022, when he will turn 30. Barring an injury, he will command a four-year deal, so he would be 33 at the end of that deal. Due to his route running ability, Adams seems like a WR who can play at a pretty high level into his mid to late thirties, but athletes can't depend on that. Adams probably has five to six years left as an elite level WR. Opting out means he doesn't get paid for one of those years. Of course, if the season is canceled or shortened, the same result applies.
I have no way of knowing whether money was a factor for these players. Adams has earned $36M to date, but I have no way to know if he saved and/or invested wisely or not. The bottom line is that NFL athletes have finite careers so losing a year of a prime earning year (or just delaying the time needed to get to UFA status) is a significant decision.
dobber
August 10, 2020 at 09:19 am
Good discussion of Adams' financials and how that plays into his decision, but how do you see Funchess' situation? Meaning: rather than playing in 2020 with a high-end NFL QB and rebuilding his value so he can get back on the market and earn a big long-term deal, he's going to sit for a year, do nothing to increase his earning power, and force himself to play next year on a low-money contract (or get cut and likely signed for close to the vet minimum in 2021 somewhere else). Maybe he and his agent looked at the cap situation for 2021 and decided there wasn't a nice contract coming either way, and chose to play the safe route on both...but I think Funchess might have--for all intents and purposes--ended his NFL career by choosing to sit.
RedRight49
August 11, 2020 at 03:51 pm
I believe this is the first article I've read discussing and contrasting two players, one getting ready for the season and the other making a decision to forgo the season.
Funchess really did have a difficult decision to make regarding " opting out " of this season
He was newly signed and had an opportunity to play with and elevate his game with Number 12 passing to him.
It must have been guy-wrenching to decide to op-out of his professional football career and it took a lot of courage of his convictions to do so.
"My closest family members have experienced the life-threatening impact of COVID-19 first hand", he posted. "Family is first. Always will be. In such unpredictable times, it's been one of the constants on my mind as I've worked through one of the toughest decisions of my life", quoting from Ken's article.
He is giving up pretty good money and a great opportunity to play WR with #12 and perhaps, curtailing his career.
I got to admire and respect Funchess as a family man before I ever got to admire and respect him as a Packer.
Slim11
August 12, 2020 at 07:01 am
There might be another factor which is indirectly referenced in the article. That is the comfort level and confidence each player has with the Packers organization.
Adams has been in Green Bay his entire professional career. Funchess has played for the Panthers and Colts before coming to Green Bay. Funchess hasn't had time to achieve that comfort level which Adams is demonstrating by choosing not to opt out of the season.
Given the times, I don't favor one over the other. Each has the option and has to live with the consequences of their decisions.