Tag: Marcedes Lewis

Caleb Williams and other Bears offensive leaders embarrassingly had to tell OC Shane Waldron to be more aggressive

Only the Bears could be this embarrassing.

Veteran playmaker Keenan Allen might be back for the Chicago Bears in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Rams, but it doesn’t appear key Chicago players are convinced his return will help their offensive woes that much in 2024.

And they’re letting offensive coordinator Shane Waldron know it.

According to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, Caleb Williams, Cole Kmet, and Marcedes Lewis met with Waldron this week to tell him he needs to coach and call plays more aggressively. Uh, yeah, that’s never what you want to hear about an offense less than a month into the season. I’m talking about both having the private meeting with their coach and the kinda alarming critical message.

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Waldron, of course, is in his first year as Chicago’s lead offensive mind. While he had a good reputation with the Seattle Seahawks in recent years, a combination of Williams’ learning curve as a rookie and a bunch of different moving parts have led the Bears to one of the NFL’s worst statistical offenses so far.

To Waldron’s credit, he appears receptive to this kind of criticism. Earlier this week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Waldron had spent significant time highlighting some of his worst play calls and taking responsibility for them in front of his players. That might be no small thing.

At the very least, it seems the Bears’ offensive leaders and Waldron have a quality back-and-forth dialogue. We’ll see whether it manifests in more points and yards moving forward.

Marcedes Lewis’ experience will help the Bears offense grow

The Bears brought back TE Marcedes Lewis, who brings both blocking prowess and veteran leadership to the table.

The Chicago Bears recently re-signed tight end Marcedes Lewis to a one-year deal, which marks his 19th NFL season. This guy just loves football. That kind of dedication to the game is contagious, which is a good thing for a team loaded with young talent looking to take another step.

Lewis is a tight end looking to help Chicago’s offense take it to the next level in his second season with the team. Last season, he played in all 17 games (four starts), where he totaled four catches for 29 yards and one touchdown.

But his role wasn’t to catch balls for the team. His job was being a great run blocker. With other tight ends on the roster in Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett, he won’t have to worry about being involved in the passing game once again. They have that covered. As long as he does his job as a blocker, he’ll help the offense score points.

With rookie quarterback Caleb Williams taking over, having a proven veteran like Lewis will help out in the huddle. This is a guy who’s been in the NFL for a long time and knows what you need to have a long career.  That type of leadership will never hurt a football team.

Lewis also played for the Green Bay Packers in his career, which is a great experience to bring into the locker room. Not only are they a good team that always wins which gives him a good background, but he can also bring some insight on the organization when they go up against them. Playing in the NFC North in the past is great for him as he tries to help the team grow within the division.

Although Lewis will help them in certain areas on the field, he is sure to use his experience to help this young core on the roster learn a thing or two in his second season in Chicago.

Photos of former UCLA tight end Marcedes Lewis after signing with Bears

Marcedes Lewis through the years.

At the age of 40, former UCLA Bruins tight end Marcedes Lewis signed a deal with the Chicago Bears for his 19th year in the league.

Lewis has spent time with each of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Bears. He spent the 2023 season with the Bears and played in all 17 games, although he had just four catches and a touchdown.

Lewis has 436 receptions with 5,113 yards and 40 touchdowns in his career and has been in the NFL since 2006 with one trip to the Pro Bowl.

Here are some photos of Marcedes Lewis throughout his NFL career with one UCLA photo in the hopper.

Former Bruin Marcedes Lewis returns for 19th NFL season

He’s back!

In sports, Father Time is undefeated. But this week, one former Bruin continued to battle back. Marcedes Lewis, who was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2006, returned for his 19th NFL season.

At 40 years young, Lewis signed with the Chicago Bears on a one-year contract. Making stops in Jacksonville, Green Bay, and now Chicago, Lewis is the last remaining player from the 2006 NFL Draft.

At UCLA, Lewis was a machine. Winning the John Mackey Award in 2005 for most outstanding tight end in college football, Lewis hauled in 58 passes for 741 yards and ten touchdowns. A consensus All-American, Lewis was a force throughout his four seasons with the Bruins.

Six months younger than Aaron Rodgers, Lewis is not quite the oldest player in the league, but given his position and the toll it takes on the body, playing in his 19th season is no small feat.

A Pro Bowler in 2010 without any Super Bowl appearances, Lewis has one more crack at trying to hoist the Lombardi Trophy with Chicago this season.

Former Packers TE Marcedes Lewis returns to Bears on another 1-year deal

Former Green Bay Packers tight end Marcedes Lewis returned to the Chicago Bears on another one-year deal. The Bears announced the deal on Monday. 

Former Green Bay Packers tight end Marcedes Lewis returned to the Chicago Bears on another one-year deal. The Bears announced the new deal on Monday.

Lewis turned 40 years old in May. A 2006 first-round pick, Lewis played 12 seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, five with the Packers and one season with the Bears. His 18 seasons are the most by a tight end in NFL history, and he is only four games away from breaking the record for most games played by a tight end in NFL history.

Lewis arrived in Green Bay in 2018. He appeared in 81 regular season games and five postseason games while with the Packers.

Last season, Lewis played 332 snaps across 17 games for the Bears. He caught four passes on five targets for 29 yards and a touchdown. The Bears did not qualify for the postseason. Lewis operated mostly as a blocking tight end in Luke Getsy’s scheme.

In Chicago, Lewis will join veteran starter Cole Kmet and free-agent addition Gerald Everett on the tight end depth chart. The Bears are transitioning to a new scheme under offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

Lewis has signed six contracts since leaving the Jaguars; five have been one-year deals.

The Packers play the Bears in Week 11 at Soldier Field and in Week 18 at Lambeau Field.

Cowboys TE Jason Witten’s record set to be broken in 2024 by Bears veteran

From @ToddBrock24f7: Bears TE Marcedes Lewis will return for a 19th NFL season. He’ll set a new record for games played by a TE, passing the legendary Witten.

Cowboys legend Jason Witten will still be the franchise’s all-time leader in game appearances when the 2024 season ends. But his current record of 271 career games played by an NFL tight end looks to be broken in late September of this season.

Marcedes Lewis has re-signed with Chicago for an incredible 19th season in the pros, it was announced Monday. The first-round draft pick back in 2006 has appeared in 268 contests since then, putting him just three back from Witten.

Assuming the 40-year-old Lewis gets into each of the Bears’ games to start the coming season, he’ll break the record in Week 4 when Chicago hosts the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 29. There’s little reason to believe the dependable Lewis won’t stick to that timeline; he hasn’t missed a game since the 2020 season.

Lewis saw his first NFL action on September 18, 2006. For perspective on how long he’s been an active player, current Cowboys rookie Caelen Carson was four and a half years old that day. And an unknown backup quarterback named Tony Romo was still four weeks away from being thrown into a Monday night game versus the Giants in relief of Drew Bledsoe.

Lewis played for 12 years in Jacksonville, then joined the Packers in 2018, where he was coached by Mike McCarthy until the head coach was fired in December of that year. Lewis stayed in Green Bay until the conclusion of the 2022 season; this record-setting campaign will be his second year in Chicago.

If Lewis plays in all 17 of the Bears’ games, he’ll end the season in the NFL’s all-time top 20 in terms of career games played.

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Witten broke the career games record for tight ends in his final NFL tilt in 2020, his only season with Las Vegas. His appearance as a starter in the Raiders’ season finale that year gave him one more game than Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, who had retired after the 2013 season with 270 game appearances.

Witten played 255 regular-season games with the Cowboys, missing only one game- in his rookie season- over 16 years in the silver and blue. Long snapper L.P. Ladouceur is second in team history, with 253 games in the silver and blue. Of current Cowboys, guard Zack Martin is the active leader, with 152 game appearances for the franchise.

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TE Marcedes Lewis officially re-signs with Bears on 1-year deal

The man known as “Big Dog” is back in Chicago.

Marcedes Lewis is officially back in the navy and orange.

The 40-year-old tight end re-signed with the Chicago Bears on Monday, agreeing to a one-year deal. The signing came just one day after reports surfaced from FOX NFL insider Jay Glazer that the two sides would meet to discuss a deal.

Lewis joined the Bears last summer on a one-year-deal as a veteran leader on a young team. He came into the league in 2006 as a Jacksonville Jaguars first-round pick, and spent five years with the Green Bay Packers. Despite his age, Lewis showed he’s still considered one of the top blockers in the league, playing an important role as the team’s extra lineman on many different plays. His 77.1 PFF run-blocking grade was fifth among tight ends. Lewis also caught four catches for 29 yards and a touchdown.

Now, Lewis is back, but with new faces in key positions. Gone are his former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and teammate Robert Tonyan, both of whom were instrumental in bringing him to Chicago, as well as quarterback Justin Fields, who was traded in the offseason.

Now, he joins an offense led by offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. Lewis will also reunite with tight end Cole Kmet and work with newcomer Gerald Everett, who signed a two-year deal in the offseason.

Entering his 19th season, Lewis has seen it all at the NFL level and will be a valuable veteran for Williams and the Bears to lean on. He also has the chance to make history by breaking Jason Witten’s record for most games played by a tight end. He needs to play just four games to pass him. Given that Lewis played in all 17 games in 2023, that feat certainly seems achievable.

Report: TE Marcedes Lewis intends to re-sign with Bears

Marcedes Lewis intends to re-sign with the Bears, according to Jay Glazer.

The Chicago Bears are expected to re-sign veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis, according to FOX Sports insider Jay Glazer.

Lewis, 40, is meeting with Chicago on Monday with the intention of re-signing with the team. This would mark Lewis’ 19th NFL season since he was drafted in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Bears signed Lewis to a one-year deal last offseason to serve as the third tight end behind Cole Kmet and Robert Tonyan. While Lewis only totaled four catches for 29 yards and a touchdown, he continued to show why he’s one of the league’s best blocking tight ends.

Lewis joins a tight end room that consists of Kmet and Gerald Everett, who signed a two-year deal with Chicago this offseason. Kmet is coming off a career year with the Bears, where he hauled in 73 catches for 719 yards and six touchdowns. Everett had 51 catches for 411 yards and three touchdowns with the Los Angeles Chargers last season.

Kmet and Everett will be the main contributors at tight end, but Lewis will once again serve a key role as a blocker in Shane Waldron’s offense with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams taking over.

The 40-year-old free agent Cowboys should pursue

There are cheap options who appear to be perfect solutions waiting in the free agent market for the Cowboys, says @ReidDHanson.

Father Time is undefeated. Whether a working stiff lacing up for rec league ball or a pro athlete suiting up in the bright light lights of prime time, at some point age makes its presence felt. For NFL players, age sneaks up fast. The ultra-physical nature of the sport works in direct contrast to physical longevity or long-term well-being. Being on the wrong side of 30 is bad in the NFL. Being just a month away from 40? Madness.

Every once in a while, a savvy quarterback or kicker figures out how to avoid the big hits and unnecessary abuse and survive to age 40, but more often than not, the decline is too severe and the abuse too compounded for these players to continue on. It’s what makes Marcedes Lewis such a sight to behold and possibly even an appealing target for the Cowboys.

Born during Ronald Reagan’s first term as president, Lewis is one of the oldest active position players in the NFL today. The UCLA tight end was drafted in the first round of the 2006 draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. At 6-foot-6, 265-pounds, he quickly established himself as one of the most physically imposing TEs in the NFL. He went on to hone his skills as a blocker, carving out a stellar career as one of the best run-blocking TEs in the league.

He’s also impervious to age.

Maybe not impervious, but in May, Lewis will turn 40, and in his own words has his sights set on a 19th NFL season.

“I want to play,” Lewis said in January. “I knew I wanted to play a month ago. My energy, my mind for it, my film.”

Playing for Jacksonville, Green Bay, and Chicago, Lewis has thrived in a number of systems. While he hasn’t dropped jaws with his receiving numbers, he’s made his presence felt with his contributions in the running game.

If he’s signed by someone in 2024, it’s safe to say it will be as a blocking specialist in a backup role.

The Cowboys are understandably high on Jake Ferguson as he enters his third season. Just as they are optimistic about Luke Schoonmaker, who’s entering his second season.

But Lewis fills a niche. He’s a blocker and doesn’t pretend to much more than that. He hasn’t had a 25-reception season since 2013 so it’s safe to say he’s not going to step on Ferguson’s toes. If anything, he’ll challenge Schoonmaker who is recovering from offseason surgery.

Schoonmaker struggled as a blocker his rookie season and overall failed to make the impact the Cowboys were hoping for when they made him their second-round pick. Having Lewis on the roster won’t just insulate Dallas from Schoonmaker’s injury and development, it will elevate their overall effectiveness running the ball.

Graded as the fifth highest performing TE in 2023, Lewis showed he still has plenty left in the tank these days. He has consistently graded as a top tier blocker year after year, all while working in a part-time role the last half-decade.

In Dallas he would improve the Cowboys standard run offense as well as their short yardage and three-TE sets. And if needs be, he can still catch too.

At age 40, Lewis is unlikely to have delusions of grandeur, demanding a bigger role on offense than what Dallas needs. He’s the perfect solution to the Cowboys TE situation and will elevate a part of the game in which the Cowboys have been struggling.

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WATCH: Bears TE Marcedes Lewis scores TD vs. Cardinals

Marcedes Lewis caught a touchdown for the Chicago Bears. It’s a Christmas miracle.

39-year old Marcedes Lewis caught a touchdown for the Chicago Bears. It’s a Christmas miracle.

The Bears are pouring it on the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas Eve and scored their third touchdown of the day, a dart from Justin Fields to Lewis in the back of the end zone. Fields bought time in the pocket, allowing Lewis to peel off his defender for the easy score.

This is Lewis’ first touchdown of his 18th season in the league. The score was set up thanks to another big connection from Fields to tight end Cole Kmet, who has his first 100-yard receiving game of his career while dealing with a quad injury.

Near the end of the first half, the Bears lead the Cardinals 21-7.