Who says you’re too old to play football? The Chicago Bears certainly don’t have any sort of age limit when it comes to GM Ryan Poles piecing together the best roster possible.
He proved that by reportedly agreeing to re-sign 40-year-old former Bears tight end Marcedes Lewis to a contract before training camp kicks off. According to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, Lewis is meeting with Bears officials on Monday afternoon, where the contract is expected to be made official.
If/when Lewis signs, he’ll be entering his 19th NFL season. After joining the league as the 28th overall pick in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft, Lewis spent the first 12 seasons of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars. That alone would be enough for many to call it a career, but not him.
Lewis then spent five seasons catching passes from Aaron Rodgers on the Green Bay Packers before joining the Bears ahead of last season.
- Marcedes Lewis stats (2023): four receptions, 29 yards, 1 TD
Of course, there’s a big difference between agreeing to a contract when the rosters are expanded to 90 and actually making the final 53-man roster, but Lewis is about to find out just how much juice he has left in the tank.
At the very least, he’ll bring valued experience to the Bears’ pass-catching unit while getting a first-hand look at witnessing Caleb Williams’ development as a rookie. That alone may be worth the price of admission.
Related: New York Giants star Darren Waller makes his retirement decision official