Veteran wide receiver Chris Conley, who spent the past two seasons with the 49ers, is retiring from the NFL to pursue a new venture.
Conley posted his farewell to the league in a heartfelt Instagram post, where he reflected on his 10-year career.
“When I was a kid I wrote down a set of goals,” Conley wrote. “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.”
Conley’s agent, Jonathan Perzley of Sportstars, told NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport that the 32-year-old is returning to the University of Georgia to attend film school.
The Kansas City Chiefs selected Conley in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, and he went on also to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans and 49ers. Conley had 226 career receptions for 2,998 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Before joining the 49ers prior to the 2023 NFL season, Conley actually contemplated retirement then.
“I definitely have grappled with it,” Conley said in January 2024. “I’ve had people tell me that maybe it was time to move on or do something different, but when I came here, I just asked for an opportunity to compete and do anything. They were gracious enough to give me an opportunity on special teams, and I got an opportunity and then got the job.”
Conley was active for eight games as a wide receiver and special-teams gunner with San Francisco in its 2023 campaign, recording three receptions for 69 yards during the regular season. He made big plays for the 49ers in the NFL playoffs, recording 17-yard and 18-yard chain-moving receptions in San Francisco’s NFC divisional playoff round win over the Green Bay Packers and the Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, respectively.
In March 2024, Conley signed a one-year contract to return to the 49ers. He appeared in 15 games and started two the following season, recording six receptions for 76 yards and zero touchdowns.
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