There are two teams filling their rosters with former Green Bay Packers players this offseason. One is the New York Jets. The other is the Chicago Bears.
Chicago poached former Packers tight end Robert Tonyan in March. The team apparently decided he wasn’t enough on Friday, August 4, when the Bears chose also to ink Marcedes Lewis to a one-year deal.
The #Bears are finalizing a deal with veteran TE Marcedes Lewis, per sources.
This will be Lewis’ 18th NFL season — breaking a tie with Jason Witten and Tony Gonzalez for the most ever played by a tight end.
“The #Bears are finalizing a deal with veteran TE Marcedes Lewis, per sources,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported via Twitter on Friday morning. “This will be Lewis’ 18th NFL season — breaking a tie with Jason Witten and Tony Gonzalez for the most ever played by a tight end.”
Marcedes Lewis to Play Without Aaron Rodgers for First Time in 5 Years
GettyQuarterback Aaron Rodgers (left) and tight end Marcedes Lewis (right), both formerly of the Green Bay Packers, warm up before an NFL game against the Detroit Lions in September 2020.
That Lewis is no longer in Green Bay isn’t much of a surprise. The tight end played for the Packers in each of the last five seasons — the first three on one-year contracts and the last two on a multiyear deal worth just shy of $6 million.
Lewis’ connection to former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers played a significant role in his decision to continue playing in the NFL, specifically in green and gold. After the Packers traded the QB to the Jets in April, there was some speculation that Lewis would follow Rodgers in free agency. However, Lewis shot those rumors down in May.
“The reason [Lewis isn’t interested in the Jets] isn’t a personal rift with Rodgers, but the tax rate in New York/New Jersey,” Justis Mosqueda of ACME Packing Co. reported on May 1. “This is why reported interest from the Las Vegas Raiders, who play in … Nevada [where there is no state income tax] is significant.”
Illinois does levy a state income tax on those who earn their livings within its borders, though the rate (4.95%) is less than half of the maximum applicable state income tax rates in New York and New Jersey, which each approach 11%.
Marcedes Lewis Will Make Valuable Addition to Bears’ Offensive Front
GettyChicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
While Lewis has yet to speak on why he chose the Bears or what other teams were in the running for his services, it is safe to assume the tight end likes what he sees developing on the offensive side of the football in Chicago.
Third-year quarterback Justin Fields has become a trendy dark horse MVP candidate this offseason. The Bears added No. 1 wide receiver D.J. Moore to the fold and brought in an entirely new right side of the offensive line, slotting rookie Darnell Wright (No. 10 overall pick) in at right tackle and free agent Nate Davis at right guard.
Chicago will rush the ball by committee, at least to begin the year, with former backup Khalil Herbert the early leader in the clubhouse to earn the starting job. Beyond that, Fields was the second-most prolific rusher of the football from the quarterback position in NFL history last season, amassing 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns on a league-leading 7.1 yards per attempt.
Lewis’ role behind Bears’ No. 1 tight end Cole Kmet will unquestionably be to aid in Chicago’s efforts to shore up its offensive front, both in order to protect the team’s investment in Fields and to spur another quality rushing attack in 2023. Lewis is an elite-level blocker from the tight end position, which is the primary reason he started all 34 of Green Bay’s regular season games over the past two years.
The tight end can still catch the ball a bit, too. Lewis made six grabs on seven targets in 2022, gaining 66 yards and scoring two touchdowns, per Pro Football Reference. Over the course of his career, Lewis has amassed 432 receptions for 5,084 yards and 39 touchdowns. He will play this season at 39 years of age.
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Bears Poach Former Packers Starter for Record-Setting Campaign