Green Bay Packers tight end Marcedes Lewis. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Marcedes Lewis makes history with touchdown catch for Packers

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 10/9/22

Aaron Rodgers has thrown a lot of touchdowns in his NFL career. But his second quarter touchdown pass to veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis in the Green Bay Packers game against the New York Giants in London reminded viewers of an unbelievable stat regarding Rodgers' time in Green Bay. The NFL Network's broadcast revealed that Lewis is the only player drafted in the first round of the NFL draft to ever catch a touchdown from Rodgers.

Mind-blowing stat on the broadcast: Aaron Rodgers has thrown 502 TD passes in his career. Marcedes Lewis is the **only** former first-round pick to ever catch a touchdown pass from Rodgers.

All of Rodgers' TD passes have gone to players drafted outside Round 1.

That's WILD.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 9, 2022

all three marcedes lewis managers ecstatic pic.twitter.com/GhVPqELcQm
— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) October 9, 2022

Lewis, drafted 28th overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars out of UCLA in the 2006 NFL Draft, joined the Packers prior to the 2018 season after spending his first 12 seasons in Jacksonville. The fact that he's the only first-round draft pick to catch a touchdown pass from Rodgers serves as a reminder of the lack of resources spent on bringing highly touted NFL prospects to Green Bay, and validation of Rodgers’ criticism of the organization.

While that fact is shocking in and of itself, others were just as surprised to learn that Lewis, who hadn't been on the receiving end of a touchdown since November 29, 2020 prior to Sunday's catch, is still in the league after being drafted 16 years ago.

Aaron Rodgers finds 17-year veteran Marcedes Lewis in the endzone with ease. Watching the play, Amani Toomer's immediate reaction: "he's still in the league?!"
— Madelyn Burke (@MadelynBurke) October 9, 2022

I’m starting to believe Marcedes Lewis will ALWAYS be in the league. He’s been around so long, he played at UCLA when the jerseys still looked like this: https://t.co/Tz62i2fHBB pic.twitter.com/1o1MZL4ooE
— J.A. Adande (@jadande) October 9, 2022

The Packers are currently tied for first place in the NFC North with the Minnesota Vikings at 3-1. At halftime of Sunday's game, the Packers held a 20-10 lead over the Giants (3-1).

Through the team's first four games, Rodgers has thrown for 935 yards and six touchdowns with three interceptions. The catch was the first target for Lewis since the divisional round of last year's playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers, 13-10. He last caught a pass on Christmas Day 2021, when he caught two passes from Rodgers for two yards in the team's 24-22 win over the Cleveland Browns.

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