Marcedes Lewis still isn’t ready to hang up his cleats.
The 41-year-old tight end has agreed to sign with the Broncos, according to multiple reports.
Denver has been seeking help at tight end with multiple injuries at the position. Lewis fits the bill as a solid blocker.
A first-round pick in 2006 — the same year Mario Williams went No. 1 and Reggie Bush went No. 2 — Lewis is entering his 20th pro season. He had played all 17 games in each of the last four seasons before he went unsigned this offseason. In 2024, he was on the field for 19 percent of Chicago’s offensive snaps and 12 percent of special teams snaps.
He caught just one 2-yard pass for Chicago last year. He has just 11 receptions over the last three seasons, despite playing all 17 games in each of them.
In his 285 career games with 229 starts, Lewis has caught 437 passes for 5,115 yards with 40 touchdowns for the Jaguars, Packers, and Bears.
Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain injured his pectoral in the team’s Week 8 win over the Cowboys and there was word earlier this week that he could land on injured reserve as a result.
That move would rule Surtain out for at least four games, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to be the way things play out. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Broncos do not plan to put Surtain on that list.
Surtain will not play against the Texans this week. The Broncos then play the Raiders and Chiefs before a Week 12 bye that would give Surtain more time to recover without missing any more games.
Surtain started the first eight games of the season for Denver. He has 27 tackles and nine passes defensed on the year.
When it comes to sacks, the Broncos are the best team in the NFL, on both sides of the ball.
Denver’s defense is leading the NFL with 36 sacks. The Broncos’ offense is also the best in the NFL at avoiding sacks, with only eight sacks allowed.
That’s not just the best in the NFL this year, it’s unprecedented in NFL history midway through a season: The 2025 Broncos are the first team in NFL history with at least 35 sacks on defense and 10 or fewer sacks allowed on offense in the first eight games of a season.
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has only been sacked on 2.7 percent of his pass attempts, the best mark in the NFL. The Broncos’ defense has recorded a sack on 12.2 percent of their opponents’ pass attempts, which is also the best mark in the NFL. The league average is a sack on 6.8 percent of pass attempts.
The Broncos are on a five-game winning streak, and they’re going to win a whole lot more games if they keep doing two of the most important things in football: Getting to the other team’s quarterback, and keeping their own quarterback upright.
Free agent tight end Marcedes Lewis is 41 years old, but he said during the offseason he’d like to play this year, and he may get a chance.
The Broncos worked Lewis out today.
A 2006 first-round pick of the Jaguars, Lewis played 12 seasons in Jacksonville and five in Green Bay before playing the last two seasons in Chicago. He appeared in all 17 games last season but didn’t get a lot of playing time and caught only one pass for two yards.
Denver needs help at tight end because Nate Adkins was injured on Sunday and Lucas Krull was already out with a foot injury. The Broncos tried to add tight ends Brendan Bates and Ben Sims via waiver claims, but both of them were claimed by teams that have worse records and are therefore higher in the waiver priority order.
Lewis is already the oldest player ever to play tight end in NFL history. If Lewis signs with the Broncos or any other team, he’ll be the second-oldest active player in the NFL, behind only Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is five months older than Lewis.
The Broncos are apparently looking for some help at tight end.
Denver put in waiver claims for both Brendan Bates and Ben Sims on Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. But with the Broncos carrying a 6-2 record, the club is further down the list in the waiver-claim order. So, Bates was awarded to the Browns, and Sims went to the Vikings.
Denver is dealing with multiple injuries at tight end. Lucas Krull was already slated to miss much of the season after foot surgery. Then fellow tight end Nate Adkins suffered a knee injury during Sunday’s victory over the Cowboys.
Evan Engram and Adam Trautman are still healthy and available at the position. Engram is third on the team with 26 receptions, netting 215 yards receiving with a touchdown.
Denver will be on the road to face Houston in Week 9 before playing the Raiders on Thursday night in Week 10, and hosting the Chiefs in Week 11 before their Week 12 bye.
