With the 2025 NFL Draft less than a week away, NFL free agency is about to be on pause as all 32 teams finalize their draft boards and prepare to add the future stars of tomorrow to their respective rosters.
For some free agents left on the open market, they’ll be able to latch on with a new team in the days after the NFL draft. However, for other free agents like former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Chris Conley, he might be waiting for a few more weeks to find his next job.
With the NFL Draft 9 days out, here is an updated list of available free agents: pic.twitter.com/eRnEfdsy4E
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) April 15, 2025
The 32-year-old wide receiver wrapped up his 10th season in the NFL, and second with the 49ers in 2024. Conley joined San Francisco as a free agent in 2023, signing a one-year deal. The veteran pass catcher didn’t make the 49ers’ initial 53-man roster out of the preseason, but they re-signed him to the practice squad.
Conley was elevated to the active roster from the taxi squad four times in 2023. He appeared in eight games, tallying three receptions (six targets) for 69 yards. Conley played 36% of special teams snaps, compared to 22% of offensive snaps.
Despite spending half of the 2023 season on the practice squad, Conley re-signed with the 49ers on another one-year pact last offseason. Conley didn’t play a big role in San Francisco’s offense last season, spending more time on special teams (55% of snaps).
However, the veteran wide receiver racked up six receptions (12 targets) for 76 yards across 15 games.
Conley isn’t the same wide receiver he was earlier in his career with the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars. The veteran wideout can still provide value to a team that needs a special teams player, but those guys usually wait to sign in free agency.
It also doesn’t help that this year’s free agent wide receiver class still has some names available for teams looking for a veteran to give them depth after the draft. Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, Diontae Johnson, Tyler Boyd, and Tyler Lockett are all better wide receivers than Conley is at this stage of his career.
And not to mention, this year’s draft class has a lot of wide receiver talent to the point where teams will happily take a chance on a younger player on a rookie deal than a 32-year-old wide receiver.
That said, when you add all those contributing factors, it’s tough to see Conley latching on with a new team before this month ends.