Broncos Sign 41-Year-Old Tight End Mercedes Lewis to Practice Squad

The Denver Broncos added a big-name veteran to their practice squad on Wednesday morning: former Pro Bowl tight end Mercedes Lewis.

The only catch? That Pro Bowl appearance was 15 years ago, and if the 41-year-old Lewis sees the field for the Broncos this season, it would be his 20th NFL season, extending the record he already holds for longest career by a tight end in NFL history.

Potential history: The Denver Broncos are signing 41-year-old tight end Marcedes Lewis to their practice squad. If they promote him to their active roster to play in a game, he would become the oldest tight end to play in a game in NFL history. In the Super Bowl era, no tight end… pic.twitter.com/m1rfRoP7OG
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 29, 2025

Lewis was a first round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2006, and enjoyed most of his career success over 12 seasons there. Lewis then spent five seasons with the Green Bay Packers, first as a backup but then as a full-time starter for the final three seasons in Green Bay.

Most recently, Lewis was with the Chicago Bears for two seasons. The tight end appeared in 34 of 34 of games for the Bears, but started just eight of them and had just five catches and one touchdown over the two seasons.

Nevertheless, Lewis has appeared in games and even caught a pass at the age of 40. When I first heard the Broncos were working out Lewis on Tuesday, and then signing him early Wednesday morning, I personally didn’t realize that Lewis has been hitting the field consistently even in the late stages of his career. The fact that Lewis hasn’t taken a season off means he could still be game-ready, likely as a big-bodied pass blocker.

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With Lucas Krull on injured reserve and Nate Adkins banged up against the Dallas Cowboys, the Broncos are doing their due diligence to get deeper at the tight end position. Whether or not Lewis gets promoted to the active roster is another story, but his veteran presence could be valuable for practice squad reps, and Lewis can be ready to go with the next-man-up mentality of a 20-year professional if need be.

The Broncos’ starting tight end is Evan Engram, supplemented also by Adam Trautman.

Denver is 6-2 and in first place in the AFC West through eight weeks of play this season.