Dallas Cowboys release CB Gareon Conley
The Dallas Cowboys have released veteran cornerback Gareon Conley, Jon Machota of The Athletic reported Sunday.
Conley’s release comes just days into training camp. Per Todd Archer of ESPN, Conley, who signed with Dallas on June 18, informed the team he plans to retire.
Conley, 29, was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He suited up in 23 games for the Raiders before being dealt to the Houston Texans in 2019. Conley last suited up in an NFL game that season, spending the entirety of the 2020 campaign on injured reserve. In 31 games (26 starts), Conley tallied 94 tackles (65 solo), four interceptions and 29 passes defended.
He was out of football for the next three years before signing with the DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL) in December 2023.
Prior to his NFL career, Conley was a standout at Ohio State, a member of its 2014 National Championship team. He earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors in 2016.
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Cowboys down another corner after Gareon Conley retirement
Conley was no guarantee to make the Cowboys’ roster out of camp at a position which has some question marks already. Dallas placed Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs on the PUP list Thursday as he returns from his torn ACL. The 25-year-old suffered the injury on Sept. 21 last year during practice. Diggs played in just two games in 2023 and registered four tackles with one interception.
Before the injury, Diggs was coming off a 2022 season where he notched 50 tackles, three interceptions and 14 passes defended. He had a breakout season in 2021, collecting 43 stops, a league-leading 11 interceptions, 21 passes defended and two defensive touchdowns. Diggs was named to the Pro Bowl in 2021 and ’22.
Diggs will be the only player on the Cowboys roster to start camp on the PUP list. He is ineligible to practice with the team during training camp until he’s removed from it. If Diggs remains on the PUP after the final roster cutdown in late August, he would be forced to miss the first four games of the regular season.