The San Francisco 49ers got some rough news recently as it seems likely that wide receiver Demarcus Robinson, one of their few free agent acquisitions this offseason, will be suspended for three games after a DUI last season.
The Niners poached Robinson from the Los Angeles Rams in free agency after he had a solid season with 505 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches in 17 games played. It seemed like Robinson could see a decent amount of action early in the season especially with it being uncertain whether wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk will be ready to go by Week 1.
However, now that Robinson is likely going to miss the first three games of the season that means San Francisco will have to find a different player who could fill in.
In comes a familiar face in wide receiver Chris Conley.
The Niners have had Conley on the team the past two seasons. While the veteran has not put up numbers worth writing home about, he has been an important and selfless player for the team. Conley has made key special teams contributions and made an important catch at a critical juncture during San Francisco's playoff run in the 2023 season.
Conley only had six catches for 76 receiving yards last season, but he could still be a good option to have on the team given Robinson's suspension and Aiyuk's injury. The former is also familiar with head coach Kyle Shanahan's playbook, so there will be no learning curve especially if any more injuries force San Francisco to go further down on the wide receiver depth chart.
Obviously, Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey are going to receive the vast majority of targets from quarterback Brock Purdy early next season. However, it never hurts to have a proven veteran option like Conley hanging around especially if the team does not fully trust second-year receiver Jacob Cowing.
Signing Conley is not a sexy move by any means, but it would be a smart one to ensure the team has just a little more depth at the wide receiver position going into next season. Even if Conley ends up being cut before the season begins, there is no harm in having an insurance policy like him on the team which is why San Francisco should be interested in a reunion.