Cardinals Rival Loses WR to Retirement

Chris Conley Retires

Conley spent the previous two seasons with the 49ers, appearing in 23 games for San Francisco.

Though he wasn't utilized often in an offense featuring names such as Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, Conley did provide a big-play splash with 16.1 yards per reception during his two seasons with the organization.

Conley caught all four targets for 59 yards in the season finale loss at Arizona to conclude the 2024 season.

Conley first entered the league as a third-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, where he played for a few seasons before joining the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019.

Conley also hit stops with the Houston Texans, Chiefs (again) and Tennessee Titans before latching on to San Francisco in 2023.

Conley ultimately notched himself a nice ten-year career playing over 130 games, recording 226 receptions for 2,998 yards and 15 touchdowns in that span.

What This Means for Cardinals, 49ers Moving Forward

Conley didn't play a massive role in San Francisco's offense, and though the 49ers lost Samuel through the offseason, they're hoping a clean slate of health of 2025 can see them return to the top of the NFC West after finishing fourth in the division last season.

Arizona, who bolstered the defensive side of the ball massively this offseason, will have one less option to worry about when battling the 49ers, which will take place in Weeks 3 and 11 for the 2025 regular season.

The NFC West appears to be anybody's for the taking this coming year, as the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks also could reasonably take the division crown.

The 49ers have won the division three of the last six years while Arizona hasn't taken home honors since 2015.

Is 2025 the year the Cardinals can turn that tide? Optimism in the desert certainly suggests Jonathan Gannon's crew is set for a massive season.