Panthers WR Funchess sits out practice again

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Devin Funchess sat out a third consecutive day of practice Friday, dimming his chances of playing against the visiting Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.. Funchess is dealing with a back injury that head coach Ron Rivera said surfaced after last weekend's 20-19 loss to the Detroit Lions. It was a forgettable game for Funchess, who had a pair of receptions for 39 yards with a number of dropped passes, including one in the end zone. Funchess has three touchdowns on 41 catches for a team-leading 516 receiving yards, but he has been limited to five receptions for 71 yards in back-to-back losses at Pittsburgh and Detroit. A second-round pick of the Panthers in the 2015 NFL Draft, Funchess established career highs with 63 catches for 840 yards and eight touchdowns last season. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Funchess has missed only one game in his three-plus seasons. But while his situation looks bleak, fellow wideout Torrey Smith returned to practice Thursday after sitting out four weeks due to a knee injury. Rookie D.J. Moore, Carolina's first-round pick (No. 24 overall) in this year's draft, is coming off a monster game against the Lions with seven receptions for 157 yards and a touchdown. Second-year wideout Curtis Samuel also found the end zone last weekend while posting season highs of five catches for 55 yards.