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After committing some time to try out veteran wide receivers like Laquon Treadwell, the San Francisco 49ers have officially added an experienced wide receiver to their roster in Chris Conley, as reported by NFL.com Insider Ian Rapoport on Monday.
“Veteran FA WR Chris Conley, who visited San Francisco Friday, is signing a 1-year deal with the 49ers, source said,” Rapoport wrote. “The former Chiefs WR has started for KC, the Jaguars, the Texans, and most recently, the Titans. Now, he lands in SF.”
Standing 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Conley was initially drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft after a successful collegiate career at the University of Georgia. A standout on the football field and off of it, as he spent two terms on the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Conley is also notable for directing the Star Wars fan film “Retribution,” which caught the eye of Lucas Films.
If Conley can bring the same passion to the 49ers’ locker room that he brought to filming his passion project at the University of Georgia in Athens, there’s a chance he could serve as a fine complement to Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk a little further down the depth chart.
The 49ers Signed Another Wide Receiver, Too
Along with the addition of Conley, the 49ers have also welcomed Jauan Jennings back to the team, as he officially signed his exclusive restricted free agent tenure and is now under contract for the 2023 NFL season. While this is effectively a formality, as Jennings had no real choice but to sign his tender and play out his fourth season with the team, he is now eligible to take part in the 49ers’ offseason program, as Matt Barrows of The Athletic pointed out on Twitter.
“WR Jauan Jennings hadn’t been listed on the 49ers‘ recent roster because he hadn’t yet signed his one-year ERFA tender,” Matt Barrows of The Athletic wrote on Twitter. “He signed it today, indicating that he’ll be part of the team’s offseason program, which begins today.”
Filling the role of San Francisco’s third wide receiver in 2022, Jennings finished his third professional season with a career-high 416 yards on 35 receptions while providing additional support as a run blocker and a special teams player. Though only time till tell what role he will play in 2023, with Ray-Ray McLeod, Danny Gray, and now Conley in the loop, keeping the big-bodied wide receiver for $940,000 is a smart decision for John Lynch and company.
Conley Brings a Wealth of Experience to the Niners
Officially announcing Conley’s signing on the team’s official website, the 49ers decided to give fans a crash course of the University of Georgia product’s path to the NFL and how he’s spent his near-decade in the League thus far.
“Conley (6-3, 205) was originally drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round (76th overall) of the 2015 NFL draft,” the 49ers staff wrote. “Over his eight-year NFL career with the Chiefs (2015-18), Jacksonville Jaguars (2019-20), Houston Texans (2021-22), and Tennessee Titans (2022), he has appeared in 109 games (63 starts) and registered 217 receptions for 2,853 yards and 15 touchdowns. Conley has also appeared in five postseason games (two starts), where he recorded eight receptions for 61 yards and one touchdown.
“Conley began the 2022 season with the Texans and split time between the team’s practice squad and active roster. He appeared in two games before being released on October 4, 2022. Conley then signed to the Chiefs practice squad on October 6, 2022, before signing to the Titans active roster on October 25, 2022, where he went on to appear in seven games (one start) and register four receptions for 46 yards with Tennessee.”
Conley had his best success as a pro as a member of the Jaguars, where he caught 47 passes for 775 yards and five touchdowns in 2019 and then backed it up with 471 more receiving yards and two more touchdowns in 2020. Though his time in Houston was far less prolific, especially in 2022, when he caught zero passes on two targets over the two games he appeared in, Conley did catch 22 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns in 2022 and played 41 more snaps on special teams to boot.
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