D.C. Defenders, Dallas Cowboys CB Gareon Conley Explains Surprise Retirement Announcement
Cornerback Gareon Conley announced his retirement from football after four NFL seasons and one UFL season. Conley took to social media on Monday to explain how nagging injuries to his leg pushed him to make this decision.
“I’ve been dealing with pain in my leg since getting my first surgery my rookie year getting a rod and two screws in my leg for a stress fracture in my tibia.”
— Gareon Conley (@_gconley8) July 29, 2024
“I’ve had this same pain for years I’ve just been pushing past it cause I was and still am hesitant about transition after football that’s all I’ve been most of my life and never really planned for what to do after.”
- Former D.C. Defenders CB Gareon Conley
Conely spent last season in the UFL with the D.C. Defenders playing in seven of the 10 regular-season games. He posted 25 tackles, one tackle for loss, two interceptions, five pass deflections and one fumble recovery. His performance got him signed by the Dallas Cowboys.
He was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, eventually starting 26 games for the Raiders and the Houston Texans and racking up 94 tackles, four interceptions and one defensive touchdown. Conely was last in the NFL with the Texans in 2019.
While Conely’s career will be remembered for the injuries he had to fight through, he performed well for the Defenders as one of their top coverage corners. He played a significant role in a D.C. secondary that allowed 176.3 passing yards per game, the third-best in the UFL.
It’s a shame that Conely’s career ended at 29 years old, but he will be remembered in the spring football world as a dominant corner in the UFL's inaugural season.
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