When the Chicago Bears veterans return to Halas Hall for the start of training camp on July 19th, a familiar face will be joining them in the locker room.
Soon after the Bears departed for the summer break after mandatory minicamp, the team announced that the front office re-signed veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis .
Lewis served as a veteran voice in the Bears locker room during the 2023 season, while setting the record for the most seasons played by a tight end in NFL history. Now, he's looking to remake history playing alongside the Bears new-look offense.
The decision to bring back Lewis continues to the show the kind of locker room head coach Matt Eberflus is looking to build in Chicago. Eberflus is looking for leaders and players who are essentially coaches on the field for the younger players beside them. That's Lewis to a tee and emphasizes what he brings to the locker room once again.
For Lewis, looking to reset his current record and continue chasing down Jason Witten's 271 game record for a tight end is one thing, but it's not the only reason he opted to return to Chicago for a 19th season.
"I'm sure when it's all said and done and my career is done, I'll be able to really enjoy the fruits that I've been able to bear, but the job's not done yet," Lewis said on The Jim Rome Podcast . " I'm looking forward to this season and having a healthy season, a dominant season from the tight end position, and then hopefully getting one more year and retiring after 20. That's my dream now to just get to 20."
During the latter part of his career, Lewis hasn't been your usual tight end you see lumbering down the seams or catching contested touchdowns in the redzone, although he did get his chance to do so last season. Lewis' main impact and specialty has been as a blocker in the run game and in pass protection.
With the Bears in 2023, Lewis recorded a 68.4 PFF pass blocking grade , the fourth-highest mark by a tight end with 50+ pass blocking snaps. In the run game, Lewis had an even better 73.7 run blocking grade, the fourth-highest among tight ends with 200+ run blocking snaps.
Under the new scheme being installed by offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, Lewis will be a key part in helping the run game continue to find success and will get even more opportunities to see the field in Waldron's tight end friendly system .
The key difference in Year 2 in Chicago compared to his first season with the team will be the player he's looking to protect and maybe catching a pass or two from in rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. While Lewis hasn't seen Williams up-close and in person at practice yet, he's still aware of how special the number one pick truly is.
"From a talent standpoint, he has everything it takes to be great," Lewis explained. "Obviously, me being a UCLA [guy], I watched the USC games when he was there. Just the arm talent and the off-platform throws, the leadership on the field, I think that's going to serve him well. I have no doubt that he's going to go out there and do his thing, and us as a team, we have to get better and elevate our games so it's an easy transition for him. I'm looking forward to it."
In the grand scheme of things, Lewis' impact on the team won't be noticeable to the untrained eye. However, for those looking intently on the trenches and the vibe inside the building, Lewis' role is immeasurable toward the overall team success.
The coaching staff and players in Chicago are ecstatic that Lewis is coming back and it's a shared sentiment considering Lewis himself was willing to return and help out.
"I'm ready for what's coming right now," Lewis added. "I'm in my best shape that I can be in right now. I'm just looking forward to going out there and proving that it can be done one more time."
Related: How Shane Waldron's tight end usage can take the Bears offense to new heights during the 2024 season
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