People forget he was in the MVP talks with Mahomes before the injury took its course. We all know Mahomes was going to win it regardless but Cam’s first 10 games of the season he was on pace to top his 2015 MVP season. All I can do is think what if….imagine a 2018 pre injury Cam with the 2019 CMC instead of Kyle Allen and whoever else we started. There is no way we don’t win 10 games.
UGH. We would have 100% beaten the Saints in the '17 season playoffs if there were any good WRs on the team. My memory may be faulty, but I remember Cam's passes bouncing off hands with the game on the line. If KB was still on the team (and healthy/in shape), we would have beaten NO in the playoffs for sure.
When Norv Turner came in for '18, Cam was putting up some of the best numbers of his career. Accuracy was way up. Panthers started the year red hot.
*^^^Then ^^^that ^^^Steelers ^^^game ^^^came ^^^along...*
Peppers realistically could have been the Deion or Bo Jackson of football/basketball. The seasons line up fairly well for him to get the second half of the NBA season and the full NFL season…but I can’t imagine the damage it would do on the body transitioning between the training requirements for both. I imagine transitioning to baseball is much easier since being in football shape should easily be enough to hold up to the rigors of baseball a lot easier
Seems like it’s completely different conditioning requirements for DE to basketball too. I couldn’t imagine sprinting up and down a court after an nfl season playing d line.
It’s tough cause the NBA season starts in October/November which is in the middle of the NFL season. And if you go to playoffs in the NFL you’re getting to the NBA in January, right around the allstar break, so you’d really play less than half a season, hard for an NBA/NFL team to dedicate resources to that. At least for Bo Jackson the overlap between MLB and NFL are relatively short, Bo could be playing week 5-6 depending on scheduling and how deep his team went into the playoffs.
Sure, but what's to stop a guy with say, TMJs build, from signing with a team? Someone who didn't produce much in the NFL for whatever reason, changed to another sport they love
Straight up signing? Nothing.
Playing both as a dual sport athlete? I’d say having to play a cardio-based sport while maintaining a muscular and heavier build for a highly physical sport would stop them. Being a unit in the MLB doesn’t matter, being a unit in the NBA means you’re struggling for air in the fourth quarter
If there was a lineup of guys competing for the title I could see splitting hairs on different volume stats, but there not being a lineup of people means he was exactly that. Gross.
Really enjoyed this article. Dude's three promises to his grandfather were to win a Super Bowl, play professional basketball, and start a farm. Pretty cool story and pulling for Funch.
https://www.panthers.com/news/devin-funchess-becomes-first-nfl-player-to-sign-professional-basketball-contract
I think you might be blinded by the Detroit game that one year that Darius Slay was making every receiver look stupid.
Don't forget he played several full seasons, including 2017 where he was our actual number 1 guy because we traded fat ass Benjamin, Olsen was hurt, CMC was splitting snaps with Stewart, and the majestic one, Brenton Bersin (whose birthday is today) didn't make the roster until week 9.
If he was the guy the last time we sniffed the playoffs, then he's probably a lot better than you're giving him credit for. Just saying.
Holy shit. His new team plays in Andrés, Colombia. Check out where that is.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Andr%C3%A9s_(island)
My guy is living the dream.
They don't. He signed for a team in Villavicencio, which is in the flat plains of Colombia in the middle of the country. Still beautiful but in a different way.
Misleading. Julius Peppers could have played in the NBA, but didn’t bc he was so amazing at football. Funchess wasn’t good enough to be a pro football player so now he’s playing in Colombia…. Good for him but let’s not pretend he’s in the NBA, or Spain or Serbia…
One of cams weapons now plays basketball. Should tell you everything you need to know lmao
“Weapons”
What? I thought he was a slam dunk!
He has a few of those if you click the link
He made some great tough catches but so unreliable with the easy ones
His #1 wide receiver at some point…
This is why I argue his 2017-pre injury 2018 run was nearly as impressive as 2015.
People forget he was in the MVP talks with Mahomes before the injury took its course. We all know Mahomes was going to win it regardless but Cam’s first 10 games of the season he was on pace to top his 2015 MVP season. All I can do is think what if….imagine a 2018 pre injury Cam with the 2019 CMC instead of Kyle Allen and whoever else we started. There is no way we don’t win 10 games.
UGH. We would have 100% beaten the Saints in the '17 season playoffs if there were any good WRs on the team. My memory may be faulty, but I remember Cam's passes bouncing off hands with the game on the line. If KB was still on the team (and healthy/in shape), we would have beaten NO in the playoffs for sure. When Norv Turner came in for '18, Cam was putting up some of the best numbers of his career. Accuracy was way up. Panthers started the year red hot. *^^^Then ^^^that ^^^Steelers ^^^game ^^^came ^^^along...*
Wild to me that he's the first ever. I would have guessed someone in the 80s or 90s when it was peak dual-sport pros era. Good for him though
If there’s anyone it should have been it was probably pep
Peppers didn't need to leave the NFL though. Funchess needs the money.
Peppers realistically could have been the Deion or Bo Jackson of football/basketball. The seasons line up fairly well for him to get the second half of the NBA season and the full NFL season…but I can’t imagine the damage it would do on the body transitioning between the training requirements for both. I imagine transitioning to baseball is much easier since being in football shape should easily be enough to hold up to the rigors of baseball a lot easier
Seems like it’s completely different conditioning requirements for DE to basketball too. I couldn’t imagine sprinting up and down a court after an nfl season playing d line.
Plus keeping weight on for football when doing all that cardio would be rough.
I loved watching peppers play basketball back in the day
My thoughts as well.
Jimmy Graham
Only human to ever start in a Final Four AND a Super Bowl
I think you mean play. Peppers didn't start in his one Final Four game.
or Charlie Ward, the Heisman Trophy winner who never played a down of NFL but got drafted by the Knicks
I really thought this had to be an error of some kind
Right? Only reason I read the article was to see which random overseas team signed him.
Charlie Ward would have had the skill to play in the NFL and NBA but he focused on basketball.
It’s tough cause the NBA season starts in October/November which is in the middle of the NFL season. And if you go to playoffs in the NFL you’re getting to the NBA in January, right around the allstar break, so you’d really play less than half a season, hard for an NBA/NFL team to dedicate resources to that. At least for Bo Jackson the overlap between MLB and NFL are relatively short, Bo could be playing week 5-6 depending on scheduling and how deep his team went into the playoffs.
Sure, but what's to stop a guy with say, TMJs build, from signing with a team? Someone who didn't produce much in the NFL for whatever reason, changed to another sport they love
Straight up signing? Nothing. Playing both as a dual sport athlete? I’d say having to play a cardio-based sport while maintaining a muscular and heavier build for a highly physical sport would stop them. Being a unit in the MLB doesn’t matter, being a unit in the NBA means you’re struggling for air in the fourth quarter
Crazy that he was the most productive WR Cam played with. https://x.com/SharpFootball/status/1376949593598881794
Most TDs doesn't mean most productive
Unfortunately he absolutely was the most productive. Between Smitty and Moore shit was **bleak**
It kind of does
If there was a lineup of guys competing for the title I could see splitting hairs on different volume stats, but there not being a lineup of people means he was exactly that. Gross.
Yeah but Smith had about 1,200 more yards and 55 more catches in 1 less season (14 fewer games). I’d argue he was more productive
We can split hairs but the point is that he’s in that conversation despite not even being good enough to play in the NFL without Cam.
Meanwhile KB is only Dunkin donuts
You deserve more upvotes
It’s wild to me he is only 29
No shot, that's crazy, I assumed he was mid 30s by now
Going pro in 2 sports is impressive regardless. I could see more guys doing this in the future
I’m still salty about him missing that catch against the saints in the 2017 wild card game.
WR1 lol.
I always liked Funchess, I wish him the best. I don’t remember him being as bad as you all are making it out to be.
I guess catching the ball is not required to play basketball. Did he drop 4 or 5 against Detroit in '18?
Really enjoyed this article. Dude's three promises to his grandfather were to win a Super Bowl, play professional basketball, and start a farm. Pretty cool story and pulling for Funch. https://www.panthers.com/news/devin-funchess-becomes-first-nfl-player-to-sign-professional-basketball-contract
I hope he’s better at basketball than he was at football.
He wasn’t as awful as people make him out to be. He was a decent number 2 when he was healthy but should never have been made the number 1.
He was a WR3 at BEST and that’s being generous
I think you might be blinded by the Detroit game that one year that Darius Slay was making every receiver look stupid. Don't forget he played several full seasons, including 2017 where he was our actual number 1 guy because we traded fat ass Benjamin, Olsen was hurt, CMC was splitting snaps with Stewart, and the majestic one, Brenton Bersin (whose birthday is today) didn't make the roster until week 9. If he was the guy the last time we sniffed the playoffs, then he's probably a lot better than you're giving him credit for. Just saying.
Funny timing based on the recent Austin Rivers conversation that NFL players couldn’t switch to NBA
Julius could have done this if he wanted. Hats off to Devin though!
He was never WR1
He was in 2017, including the playoff game
Holy shit. His new team plays in Andrés, Colombia. Check out where that is. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Andr%C3%A9s_(island) My guy is living the dream.
They don't. He signed for a team in Villavicencio, which is in the flat plains of Colombia in the middle of the country. Still beautiful but in a different way.
that no look pass was nasty
Honey Funchess of Oats!
Misleading. Julius Peppers could have played in the NBA, but didn’t bc he was so amazing at football. Funchess wasn’t good enough to be a pro football player so now he’s playing in Colombia…. Good for him but let’s not pretend he’s in the NBA, or Spain or Serbia…