Ex-Raiders 1st-round pick retiring from NFL at age 29

Sep 26, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; A detailed view of the Las Vegas Raiders shield logo at midfield at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

After just three total seasons played in the NFL, a former first-round pick is officially calling it quits.

Todd Archer of ESPN reported Sunday that cornerback Gareon Conley has informed the Dallas Cowboys that he intends to retire. As a result, Dallas is releasing Conley (rather than placing him on the reserve/retired list). They are now signing fellow cornerback Kemon Hall off waivers instead.

Conley, still only 29, was a first-round pick by the then-Oakland Raiders in 2017 (No. 24 overall). But he missed almost all of his rookie season due to a shin injury and never quite took off from there. The Raiders traded Conley to the Houston Texans in the middle of the 2019 season, and he logged 50 combined tackles overall that year with 13 passes defended and one pick.

But that would end up being Conley’s final season in the NFL. A lingering ankle injury sidelined Conley for the entire 2020 campaign, and the Texans did not bring him back after the year. Conley did play last season for the DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL) and was able to land a deal with the Cowboys last month. But now Conley will be ending his comeback bid just days after the formal start of training camp.

If the headline with Conley sounds familiar, it probably is. Just a few days ago, another former Raiders and Cowboys player announced his retirement from the NFL at the age of 28.