As teams wrap up OTAs and get ready for minicamp and training camp, news of players calling it quits makes fans reminisce about the old days. On Saturday, it was veteran wide receiver Chris Conley who decided to hang up his cleats after ten seasons in the NFL.

Conley, who was a third-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2015 NFL Draft, announced his retirement, per NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The 32-year-old receiver is reportedly headed back to the University of Georgia to finish his degree to become a filmmaker.

Former Chiefs WR Chris Conley Retires from the NFL to Pursue His Dream

Conley first burst onto the scene at the 2015 Scouting Combine when he posted a 45-inch vertical jump and a 4.35-second 40-yard dash. These elite athletic measurements, combined with his productive four years at Georgia, where he went for 117 catches for 1,938 yards and 20 touchdowns in 49 games, pushed him all the way up to the 76th-overall pick in the draft.

During his four seasons at Kansas City, Conley had his ups and downs. In his third year as a Chief, he suffered a ruptured Achilles in Week 5 when trying to recover an onside kick that ended his season prematurely.

Next season, Conley had the most productive campaign of his Chiefs tenure, scoring five touchdowns in 13 starts in Patrick Mahomes’ first year as a starter.

This earned Conley a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he had his best season as a pro, putting up 775 yards and five touchdowns.

Since then, Conley returned briefly to Kansas City in 2022, but wasn’t able to make the active roster out of the practice squad. He had a minor revival in San Francisco over the last few years, appearing in the Super Bowl LVIII against the Chiefs, but wasn’t able to lift the Lombardi Trophy that has eluded him throughout his career.

Even though he wasn’t able to reach the ultimate goal of his career and win the Super Bowl, Conley will be remembered fondly by Chiefs fans and elsewhere. We wish him nothing but the best in his journey as a filmmaker.