We knew that the Chicago Bears were going to make upgrades to their roster once training camp rolled around. We also suspected that tight end and edge rusher would be the positions they addressed. Not long after signing Yannick Ngakoue, the Bears added tight end Marcedes Lewis.
What does Lewis bring to the team, and why was this signing so expected?
3. Chicago Bears coaches are familiar with Marcedes Lewis
This is a signing that we had speculated on earlier in the offseason. That is because Lewis has a clear connection with the Chicago Bears coaching staff. Luke Getsy had been with the Green Bay Packers from 2014 through 2017 and then again from 2019-2021. So, Getsy has been in plenty of meeting rooms with Marcedes Lewis, who was with the team the entire time Getsy was there.
Beyond that, the Chicago Bears have Tim Zetts as their assistant tight ends coach. Zetts was an offensive assistant for the Packers last year, but he has ties to Getsy going back to Mississippi State when Getsy had his hiatus from the NFL.
So, Zetts was in Green Bay in 2021 with Lewis and Getsy, and now he has some say in the tight end room. What do you know but Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan have both joined the room. That is not a mistake; just like Getsy being from Pittsburgh, his quarterback coach, Andrew Janocko, is from Pittsburgh, and his third quarterback and player/coach, Nathan Peterman, is from Pittsburgh.
Luke Getsy likes to surround himself with people he is comfortable with, and Marcedes Lewis is one of those people. This signing was expected. The Bears know exactly what they are getting.