Marcedes Lewis enjoyed his first season playing for Matt LaFleur, feels good physically and wants to return to the Green Bay Packers in 2020.
Lewis, who turns 36 in May, is about to become an unrestricted free agent.
The veteran tight end told Wes Hodkiewicz of Packers.com that he’s planning to plan again in 2020, and he’d prefer to return to Green Bay to play for LaFleur and with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
“I’d love to come back. When I wake up in the morning, I still love it,” Lewis told Hodkiewicz.
Lewis emerged as a crucial run-blocking tight end for LaFleur’s offense in 2019. He caught 15 passes and his first touchdown pass from Rodgers, and he was excellent sealing off the edge in the zone run game.
Lewis played 487 snaps for the Packers offense this season. His role continually grew, and by the end of the year, he was playing over 50 percent of the offense’s snaps on a regular basis.
A 14-year veteran, Lewis played in his second career conference title game on Sunday in San Francisco. He has never been to the Super Bowl.
The Packers may have a rebuild coming at tight end, especially if Jimmy Graham is cut, but bringing back Lewis could provide the run-blocking presence LaFleur’s offense requires.
GM Brian Gutekunst brought Lewis back on a one-year deal worth $2.1 million in 2019. It included a $500,000 signing bonus, and he earned all $500,000 in per-game active roster bonuses throughout the season.
Lewis is one of 21 upcoming free agents for the Packers this offseason.
