A Dallas Cowboys cornerback and former Ohio State Buckeyes star is calling it quits at the age of 29.
According to a report from ESPN’s Todd Archer, cornerback Gareon Conley told the Dallas Cowboys that he’s retiring from football. Rather than put him on the reserve/retired list, Conley was outright released by Dallas, Cowboys.com writer Nick Harris added.
Can confirm @toddarcher’s report that Gareon Conley informed the team that he intends to retire which led to his release. https://t.co/mD7548BFTi
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisDC) July 28, 2024
Conley was drafted in the first round (24th overall) by the Oakland Raiders in 2019. Conley, who won a national championship with the Buckeyes in 2014, spent two and a half seasons there before getting traded to the Houston Texans ahead of the 2019 deadline.
Unfortunately, Conley missed the entire 2020 season after the Texans put him on the injured reserve. He became a free agent in 2021 following the expiration of his rookie deal (Houston declined Conley’s fifth-year option), and went unsigned over the next two years.
Gareon Conley is retiring after a brief NFL comeback with the Dallas Cowboys. https://t.co/JjNgsl4LWZ
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) July 28, 2024
After four years away from football, Conley landed a contract with the UFL’s DC Defenders. Conley signed with the Cowboys last month in an NFL comeback attempt, but it didn’t take him long to decide it was time to step away.
In 31 career NFL games, Conley recorded four interceptions and 29 pass breakups.
Dallas Cowboys Have Had A Surprisingly Quiet Offseason
The Cowboys are coming off a third straight 12-win season that ended with an ugly loss to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round. Despite the trio of 12-win campaigns, Dallas only has one playoff win to show for it.
Owner Jerry Jones promised in January that his team would be “all-in” during the offseason, but the Cowboys have yet to make a single blockbuster trade or free agent signing since the new league year began.
The Cowboys will open their 2024 season with a Week 1 road contest against the Myles Garrett-led Cleveland Browns. That game will also mark the debut of Tom Brady as an NFL analyst for FOX Sports.
