‘I can still play ball’: Closing in on 40, Chicago Bears tight end Marcedes Lewis is making his presence felt

The 40th touchdown catch of Marcedes Lewis’ career was fairly easy. No, it didn’t unfold exactly as designed Sunday with the veteran tight end unable to disengage from linebacker Jesse Luketa the way he wanted. But after Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields faked an inside handoff to Roschon Johnson and an end-around give to Darnell Mooney, a game of playground football broke out.

Fields’ preferred read — DJ Moore on a shake route to the left — was taken away. And Lewis was unable to release cleanly into his corner route. But Fields and Lewis both used their eyes and instincts to improvise. The quarterback bought time on the move to his right and his tight end found a patch of empty space.

As Luketa peeled off and charged Fields to take away a possible scramble, Lewis sat down behind the “O” in Soldier Field’s north end zone.

“All I did was just play football,” Lewis said. “I went where (Luketa) wasn’t.”

Fields threw a fastball.

Touchdown Bears. Touchdown “Big Dog.”

Center Lucas Patrick was the first Bear into the end zone and, face mask to face mask, gave Lewis an energized celebratory woof.

“I’ve been barking for the Big Dog since 2018,” said Patrick, who was teammates with Lewis for four seasons in Green Bay. “You have no idea what that guy means to this offense and this team. He’s amazing. It’s the leadership he provides, the insight into the game. It’s how hard he works and what he does to get ready and stay ready. How can you not celebrate a guy like that?”

After Sunday’s 27-16 Bears victory, Lewis shared the details of the reception that made him, at 39 years and 7 months old, the second-oldest player in NFL history to catch a touchdown pass. (Hall of Famer Jerry Rice made the last of his 197 career TD grabs at 42 years and 2 months old.) But then Lewis told reporters inside the Bears locker room at Soldier Field that his touchdown, while nice and all, was far from the most satisfying part of his Christmas Eve.

“I put a lot of good stuff on film in the run game today,” he said with a wide smile. “The touchdown is cool. But I think throughout the entire game, I liked what I put on film.”

Indeed, in the 35 snaps Lewis played, he was a major contributor to a bruising Bears ground attack that posted a season-high 250 rushing yards.

“I can’t wait to watch the film,” Lewis said. “That’s something we talk about all the time. It’s about imposing our will. Especially in December. Teams don’t want to come out here and play. So let’s give them a reason to quit and aim to be the most physical team every time we step on the field.”

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On Thursday, Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy wasn’t surprised to learn of Lewis’ delight in the contributions he made as an in-line blocker.

“That’s the immeasurable stuff that’s just huge in holding a team together, holding a unit together, holding a position group together,” said Getsy, who grew close with Lewis during their time together with the Packers.

When the Bears signed Lewis to a one-year contract early in training camp, they did so with the belief that his experience and professionalism could be tone-setting inside a young locker room. Lewis hasn’t lasted 18 seasons in the NFL without a dedicated plan for taking care of his body plus a focused approach to handling his responsibilities on a daily basis.

Even before Lewis joined the Bears, fellow tight end Robert Tonyan lauded him as a trusted mentor who helped him get his own career off the ground in Green Bay. “Marcedes is like a big brother,” Tonyan said in late July. “He has always been there for me. He seriously taught me everything on and off the field. Handling finances, family, whatever it is. … This is a guy who is 10 years older than me, who has experienced a lot. He has taught me so much about mentality, about how to carry yourself, about routine and how to take care of your body and how to lead.”

When Lewis arrived in Lake Forest in August, he knew the Bears would be counting on him to be a resource for younger players. But Lewis also wanted it known immediately that he would contribute to the offense, primarily as a tough, physical, willing blocker. He reiterated that sentiment after Sunday’s game, proud of the contributions he made to a winning effort.

“It just means the work is working,” Lewis said. “I’m not here just to have a jersey and be all rah-rah. I’m here because I can still play ball.”

Getsy has appreciated how Lewis’ work habits and approach have provided additional fuel to Cole Kmet, who is enjoying a productive season in Year 4 of his career climb.

“(Cole) has Marcedes there to lean on, to see what kind of professional he is, to see the mentality he brings, all that stuff,” Getsy said. “Those intangible things are what had me (over the summer) saying ‘This dude’s going to make a difference, an impact (here).’

“On top of it, he’s out there still doing his job at an elite level at his age. That’s all really cool stuff. People have that immediate respect for his presence but even more so for the mindset he brings to that room every single day.”

Added Patrick: “In this game, the greatest thing you can achieve is saying that you have the respect of your teammates. Well, he has the respect of the whole organization. There’s not a single person here that doesn’t respect what he’s about. When he speaks, everyone listens. And the message echoes. Because the only way you play as long as he has is by doing things the right way.”

With two games remaining, Lewis has continued urging his teammates to push themselves for a strong finish, to take pride in grinding through the end of Week 18. During a roller coaster year, he has also encouraged teammates to maintain a healthy emotional equilibrium.

“You get too low? You’ll fall into depression,” Lewis said. “You get too high? You’ll get embarrassed. So it’s about finding your zone and staying in that zone. I think this whole entire year we’ve been jelling, coming together and understanding what it means to win a day. You can’t win games on Sunday, if you can’t win the day. It’s how you carry yourself. Your attention to detail in meetings, in the locker room. It’s how you treat people around the building. All that stuff adds up.”

On Sunday, Lewis found the end zone. And it added to a Bears victory.