Former Carolina Panthers player becomes first NFL athlete to sign professional basketball contract

Who says NFL players couldn’t play basketball? Austin Rivers, that’s who. Don’t tell that to this former Carolina Panthers player though. More on that in a bit.

Actually, Rivers specifically stated that NFL players probably couldn’t hack it in the NBA while insinuating that basketball players would have no issue taking their talents from the hardwood to the gridiron.

“I can take 30 players right now from the NBA and throw them in the NFL. You can’t take 30 NFL players and put them in the NBA.”

Basketball player Austin Rivers comparing athleticism between NBA and NFL

Clearly, Devin Funchess doesn’t agree.

Devin Funchess joins Colombia Basketball League

The former Panthers receiver is now the first NFL player to sign a professional contract to play basketball, yet, it’s not in the NBA, so he won’t have a chance to prove Rivers wrong.

Still, Funchess is set to play basketball for the Caribbean Storm Llaneros in the Professional Colombia Basketball League. The contract was actually agreed to on April 22, far before Rivers made his comments.

Funchess, a former second-round pick who was drafted 41st overall in 2015, bounced around to five different NFL teams. He made 62 appearances, starting 41 games, where Funchess recorded 164 catches for 2,265 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns.

But Funchess hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2019, so he’s since switched his focus over to fulfilling his childhood dream of playing in the NBA .

Funchess began his basketball training in December of 2022 as NFL interest waned. By November of 2023, Funchess made his professional basketball debut with Statham Academy in the Phillippines. Now, he has an official contract to play a 28-game season.

While Funchess may not be who comes to mind when considering whether NFL players could play in the NBA, he’s out to prove some skeptics wrong.

Here are a few highlights from Funchess’ pro debut in Colombia. He’s the one rocking jersey number 11.

Funchess is already using his 6-foot-4 frame to his advantage, aggressively crashing the glass and hauling in rebounds with his new team.

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