Bears sign TE Marcedes Lewis

Tight end Marcedes Lewis will play his 18th season as a member of the Chicago Bears, agreeing to a one-year deal on Friday.

Lewis, 39, was a first-round pick in 2006 and spent the past five seasons with the Green Bay Packers after 12 years in Jacksonville.

Last season, Lewis caught six passes -- two for touchdowns.

By playing in Year 18, Lewis becomes the only tight end in NFL history to play beyond a 17th season (Tony Gonzalez, Jason Witten).

Regarded as a top blocking tight end, Lewis knows the roots of the Chicago offensive scheme from his time in Green Bay with Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

Former Packers tight end Robert Tonyan, also now a member of the Bears, was Lewis' teammate in Green Bay.

Lewis has played in 251 career games (221 starts) with 432 catches for 5,084 yards and 39 touchdowns in his career.