Bears to sign veteran TE Marcedes Lewis

The Bears are finalizing a deal to sign veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Friday morning.

Lewis, 39, played in 17 games for the Packers in 2022 and was used primarily as a blocking tight end. He caught just 6 passes for 66 yards and 2 touchdowns, but his abilities to create running lanes for his teammates have been well documented.

As Pelissero mentioned in his report, Lewis is entering his 18th season in the NFL, tying him with Jason Witten and Tony Gonzalez for the longest career for a tight end in league history. A first-round pick by the Jaguars in 2006, Lewis played for Jacksonville until 2017, tallying one Pro Bowl and a second-team All-Pro nomination in that time. He then spent 5 seasons with the Packers, where he overlapped with current Bears personnel like offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and fellow tight end Robert Tonyan.

Lewis joins the likes of Tonyan and Cole Kmet in Chicago’s tight end room, giving the Bears plenty of versatility for multi-tight end sets. Prior to this signing, they didn’t have a solidified TE3 in place, so it appears Lewis will be in the running for a roster spot.