Four Months Into Treatment, Gareon Conley Shin Injury Remains A Mystery

The season felt like it was over before it started for Gareon Conley.

Officially, the Raiders first-round pick played sparingly in two games (and performed well), but for practical purposes, it was a season lost.

What exactly happened? No one seems to know – and that may include the team.

It was originally reported by the Raiders that Conley was dealing with shin splints, but after taking more than a month off, Conley couldn’t get comfortable. He played in two games following the season opener, but never saw the field beyond week three (yes, the Washington game). Even after the third week, there still wasn’t strong concern that it was more than a mental hurdle that Conley was working through.

What’s strange is that the Raiders have long believed (legitimately, I believe) that Conley was “close” to coming back – they even removed him from the injury report in week two.

Evidently, players felt similarly.

According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, some of the Conley’s teammates were surprised to hear he wouldn’t be coming back.

Obviously, if there were signs of a stress fracture, the Raiders would have ended Conley’s season before now (team doctors would have never risked a more serious injury). The Raiders rarely offer injury information, but judging by the way Conley’s injury was handled, it’s hard to believe anyone had a good feel for what’s been going on (and maybe still don’t).

So, it seems, the curious case of Conley’s shin injury will extend beyond his rookie season. The best case scenario at this point is that he’ll be able to return to full strength next season (possibly after surgery), but given the way this process has played out, it’s perfectly reasonable to hold on to your doubts.

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