Marcedes Lewis has been in the NFL for 19 seasons, and if he plays one more year, there’s a good chance he’s going to be able to pass Tom Brady in the NFL record book. And yes, you read that right: a tight end could end up passing Brady in the record book.
During his 23-year career, Brady re-wrote the NFL record book at the quarterback position, but what you may not know is that he also has a spot in the record book as a pass-catcher. During the 2018 season, Brady caught one pass for 6 yards, which is notable, because it means he has the SECOND-MOST receiving yards in NFL history for a player over 40 years old.
Let’s take a look at the all-time list for receiving yards over the age of 40:
As you can see above, there are only three players in NFL history who have recorded any positive receiving yards after turning 40. If Lewis can total just five receiving yards in 2025, he’ll pass Brady. The one problem for Lewis is that he doesn’t currently have a team to play for. However, he definitely wants to play in 2025.
During a recent interview on “Up And Adams” with Kay Adams, Lewis said he’s expecting the upcoming season to be his final one in the NFL.
“Mentally, I’m going into it saying this is my last year,” Lewis said. “I’ve had 19 amazing years and the journey has been great.”
Lewis just turned 41 on May 19, so if he does sign, he’s either going to be the oldest or second-oldest player in the NFL in 2025. Lewis is younger than Aaron Rodgers by five months, so if they both play this year, Lewis would be the second-oldest player in the NFL, but if Lewis plays and Rodgers doesn’t, then the tight end will hold the title of oldest player.
Despite his age, Lewis has been durable. During his 2024 season with the Chicago Bears, he missed exactly zero games at the age of 40. In fact, he’s missed less than 20 games since his rookie year in 2006.
“It’s not as if I’m just this old guy and I can’t stay healthy, I think [I’ve missed] like 18 games in 19 years,” Lewis told Adams. “Durable, I’m still doing my thing, I still practice hard, I’m still a student, I’m learning, I’m not in meetings acting as if I know it all. I think that’s what keeps me locked in and my seatbelt on. I’m just grateful to have that type of growth mindset about my work. That’s the reason why I’m here.”
Lewis recorded a total of 29 receiving yards as recently as 2023 while playing for the Bears, and if he can get near that total again, he’ll blow past Brady in the record book. Lewis actually had a chance to pass Brady last season in Chicago, but he only caught one pass for two yards in 2024.
The 41-year-old tight end has put himself in a position to pass Brady because of his longevity. Lewis has been in the NFL since 2006 when the Jaguars made him the 28th overall pick in the NFL Draft. He’s now going into his 20th season, which is the NFL record for most seasons played by a tight end. Lewis also holds the record for most games played by a tight end at 285. Jason Witten held the previous record at 271, but Lewis broke that last season.
Lewis has actually played in the 19th most games of any player in NFL history. If he ends up signing with a team in 2025 and playing in all 17 games, that would put him at 302 games for his career, which would be tied with Brett Favre and John Carney for the 10th most in NFL history.
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Author: John Breech
June 2, 2025 | 12:30 pm
