Chris Conley said the dream was a decade all along. On Saturday, a couple of months before the start of another NFL preseason, the veteran wide receiver and former Kansas City Chiefs draft choice decided to walk away from the game he loved, having accomplished exactly what he set out to do in the first place.
Conley announced his retirement from professional football on social media with a heartfelt statement thanking everyone who had played a role in his growth and success over the years. He also made it clear that he was ready to chase other dreams that had been sidelined while he pursued success in the National Football League.
Chris Conley called it a career after a decade in the National Football League.
When John Dorsey was the general manager, Conley was originally a third-round choice in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Chiefs. That class was a solid one all around, with center Mitch Morse playing very good football for about a decade himself alongside long and productive careers for corners Steven Nelson and first-round pick Marcus Peters. Defensive tackle. Rakeem Nunez-Roches also deserves a shout as a former sixth-round choice who is still playing as well.
Conley was part of an overhaul to a wide receiving room that would switch from Dwayne Bowe and Donnie Avery to Jeremy Maclin and Conley. Albert Wilson was also emerging in this time while Travis Kelce carried the load offensively.
Conley would go on to play for the Chiefs for the next four seasons throughout the course of his rookie deal, with 104 catches for 1,238 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns during his tenure in K.C. From there, Conley went on to play with the Jaguars in 2019-20 where he put up his most productive season in his first year in Jacksonville (47 catches for 775 yards).
The Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans would go on to employ Conley for the next two seasons before the Georgia product finished his career with the San Francisco 49ers over the last two years.
Here’s the full text of Conley’s statement via Instagram:
When i was a kid i wrote down a set of goals. On that list was “Play 10 years in the NFL”. Now that this goal has been accomplished it’s time to set sights on something new.
The past 10 years have been a dream. Getting the opportunity to play in the league was an honor and whether it was catching touchdowns or blocking for them i truly gave it my all.
I cant mention everyone who was instrumental in my growth as a man and player but if you played a part, I extend a heartfelt thank you. To my teammates, training staff, and coaches thanks for the friendship and trust throughout the years.
God makes no mistakes and I’m thankful he proved this to me throughout my career. He is more than enough.
See you in the next dream