Gareon Conley Reportedly Placed on IR by Raiders with Shin Injury

Oakland Raiders rookie cornerback Gareon Conley is still dealing with a shin injury and reportedly has been shut down for the season. 

ESPN's Field Yates reported Monday the Raiders have placed Conley on injured reserve. Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area noted he suffered the injury in a June minicamp and hasn't played since Week 3.

"Right now, we'll see what happens after we come back from the weekend,” general manager Reggie McKenzie said, per Bair. "We'll see if we can do anything early in the week. We'll make our determination from there.…If he can’t go, he can’t go. Then we’ll just have to move on, but we’re going to give him every opportunity to see if he can do it."

Conley was a nice pickup for the Raiders late in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft after they ranked 24th in passing yards allowed during the 2016 season. The corner had 75 combined tackles, 13 passes defended and six interceptions in his final two years at Ohio State.

The 22-year-old Ohio native also remained durable during his time as a high-impact contributor with the Buckeyes. He appeared in all 26 of the team's games across the 2015 and 2016 campaigns.

Oakland's limited depth at cornerback will be tested if the ailment keeps Conley sidelined. David Amerson, Travis Carrie and Sean Smith are among the other options who figure to continue seeing more playing time.

Ultimately, an argument could be made Conley is one of the most important second-tier players on the Raiders roster because of the needed improvement in the secondary to contend for a championship. He should slide right back into a key role once healthy.