The Chicago Bears will be making a veteran addition ahead of training camp bringing back a familiar face to the offense.
According to NFL Insider Jay Glazer , veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis is scheduled to meet with the Bears in Chicago on Monday and plans to re-sign with the team.
Lewis joined the Bears last offseason and became the first tight end in NFL history to play 18 seasons, and now he's looking to extend that record.
When Lewis joined the Bears last offseason, he looked to reunite with his former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. The Bears now have a new play-caller in Chicago in Shane Waldron, but one who would be a much better fit for Lewis.
While serving as the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator in 2023 , Waldron's offense ran the second-highest percentage of 12 personnel formations (one running back, two tight ends, and two receivers) and the tenth-highest percentage of 13 personnel formations (one running back, three tight ends, and one receiver).
The Bears have already added tight end Gerald Everett to the position this offseason to pair with budding star Cole Kmet. Now, the Bears can look to add one of the top blocking tight ends the league has seen to Waldron's offense.
During OTAs and minicamp, the Bears tight end depth behind Kmet and Everett consisted of Tommy Sweeney, Stephen Carlson, and Brenden Bates. Within this new scheme, the Bears needed to add some more experienced depth to the position and Lewis certainly fits the bill.
With the Bears in 2023, Lewis played 29 percent of the team's offensive snaps. His lone touchdown of the season in Week 16 set a new NFL record when he became the oldest tight end in NFL history to record a reception touchdown. The man affectionately known as "Big Dog" has consistently earned the respect and aspiration for everyone he's played with in his extensive career.
"The guys were excited about that," head coach Matt Eberflus said following that game. "We had that play in and they all start barking when he scored because he's the 'big dog'. He's a big human and he is a great leader too. And the guys love him."
Despite being an underappreciated player on the stat sheet, Lewis' value in the locker room and in the run game goes a long way. This is a major signing for the Bears going into training camp and one the coaches and his teammates will be ecstatic about.
