Marcedes Lewis is 40 years old. This fall will his 19th year in the NFL and he intends to play with Caleb Williams on the Chicago Bears.
Should his plans become a reality, Lewis will extend his own record for most seasons played by a tight end.
Tony Gonzales and Jason Witten played 17 years in the league. They will be two years short of Lewis if he is on the active roster for any team at any point during this upcoming season.
According to Jay Glazer, the plan is for the former first round draft pick to sign with Chicago this week, as soon as Monday. It is a move that brings (a lot of) experience to a young roster that will be led by a rookie. Lewis will join Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett, among others, as a depth piece and as a mentor.
Let’s put this in perspective.
Lewis was drafted No. 28 overall out of UCLA in the 2006 NFL Draft. His name was called five picks ahead of DeMeco Ryans, who played 10 years at linebacker with Houston and Philadelphia.
Ryans is entering his second year as the head coach of the Texans after working his way up the coaching ladder with San Francisco. The 49ers first hired him as quality control coach in 2017. That was eight years ago!
Meanwhile, Lewis is still playing.
He spent 12 years with the Jaguars, five years with the Packers and last year with the Bears. While his production has declined over the last decade or so, Lewis caught 23 passes for Green Bay in 2021. A quarterback can rely on his sure hands regardless of age. He caught passes from David Garrard in Jacksonville and will catch passes from Caleb Williams in Chicago.
Now, at age 40, Lewis is more of a player-coach than anything. Although he is in uniform and goes through all of the drills with the team, his role as a counselor for the younger generation is most important. That should not discredit his remarkable and historic career.
Marcedes Lewis is an icon! 19 seasons in the NFL at a position that takes a beating is remarkable.