Getty Veteran wide receiver Chris Conley is back with the Kansas City Chiefs.
There was another bit of Kansas City Chiefs news after the promising Trent McDuffie injury update on October 6.
Out of nowhere, KC media members started to mention a blast from the past on Twitter — who will apparently be filling the practice squad role that was opened up in the Corey Coleman release earlier this week. Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest was one of the first to make note of the unexpected reunion.
New practice squad WR Chris Conley has a locker but he was in meetings this morning so we didn’t get a chance to catch up with him.
Did talk to WR Marcus Kemp, who was all smiles to back with Chiefs on practice squad. Couple of teams were interested but comfort with KC was key.
“New practice squad WR Chris Conley has a locker but he was in meetings this morning so we didn’t get a chance to catch up with him,” Derrick tweeted nonchalantly. A follow-up article from Charles Goldman of Chiefs Wire later confirmed the news, Conley is signing in Kansas City again in a reserve role.
Chiefs Re-Sign Veteran WR Chris Conley Unexpectedly
A former third-round pick in 2015, Conley was a part of the Alex Smith Chiefs team that almost made the Super Bowl several times, more so than the Patrick Mahomes era roster that appeared in two championships games and won a title in 2019.
He did start 13 games with Mahomes during his final season with the franchise in 2018 (appearing in 16), catching 32 passes for 334 yards and five touchdowns.
“Right now, he’s doing the practice squad thing and then, we’ll just see,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters after the move. “It’s great to have him back. It’s great to have [Marcus] Kemp back in here. They’re familiar with what we do and they’re great guys. Good workers.”
Since leaving Kansas City, Conley spent two years with Jacksonville and another one-and-change with Houston before the Texans cut him this week. He topped his Chiefs career-high in yards (530) during the 2019 campaign with the Jaguars, reaching 775 yards for the first time. Since then, his numbers have dropped back down to the 300 to 400 range.
Conley was always more of a possession receiver than a big-play threat. He has contributed 143 first downs over his NFL tenure with just 15 touchdowns — six came with the Chiefs.
Goldman referred to Conley as “valuable depth,” adding that “he played 211 career special teams snaps with Dave Toub in his prior stint with the team.”
Chiefs Get Back to Their Roots on Special Teams
The Kemp and Conley signings both signaled two likely theories. One, the Chiefs are aware of their thinning depth at wide receiver, and two, the staff knows they need more reliable special teamers after the fiasco in Indianapolis.
To be fair to Coach Toub, his unit was decimated over the offseason and now general manager Brett Veach is working hard to replenish those ranks using the practice squad. Core special teamers like Elijah Lee and Daurice Fountain were already present in this group but you can only elevate a player three times before you have to sign them to the active roster.
Veterans like Conley and Kemp provide a couple more options with rookie returner Jerrion Ealy suspended and tight end Blake Bell sidelined — 1,054 career ST snaps.
It may not be ideal circumstances for Toub, but adding experience like this can be invaluable both on gameday and in practice. We’ll see if either of the returning wide receivers is elevated and utilized on special teams in Week 5.