On Thursday afternoon, the Kansas City Chiefs brought back a familiar face, signing veteran wide receiver Chris Conley to the practice squad.
Conely was released by the Houston Texans on Wednesday after bouncing between the team’s practice squad and the active roster over the first four weeks of the 2022 NFL season. Conely returns to where his NFL journey began as a third-round draft pick in 2015 – he played for Kansas City from 2015 to 2018, appearing in 59 games with 36 starts, recording 104 receptions for 1,238 yards and six touchdowns.
His 2018 campaign was his best season during his Chiefs tenor, catching 32 balls for 334 yards and five scores from Patrick Mahomes. Conely left Kansas City via free agency the following year, playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars for two seasons before signing with Houston in 2021.
Kansas City also brought back another wide receiver, signing Marcus Kemp to the practice squad on Monday. It remains to be seen what role both players will play on offense and special teams. Right now, the team is allowing them a period a get reacquainted with the system before bumping them up to the active roster.
“Right now, [Conley’s] doing the practice squad thing, and then, we’ll just see,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters. “It’s great to have him back. It’s great to have [Marcus] Kemp back in here. They’re familiar with what we do, and they’re great guys. Good workers.”
Conely replaces wide receiver Corey Coleman, who the Chiefs released from the practice squad on Wednesday. Kemp takes the place of running back Jerrion Ealy, who was suspended six games by the NFL on Monday for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
