Broncos Promote 41-Year-Old TE to Active Roster

He had been yo-yoed from the practice squad since October.

Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton before the game at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

With tight end Nate Adkins ruled out for Week 14, the Denver Broncos have promoted veteran TE Marcedes Lewis from the practice squad to the active roster, the team announced Saturday.

Lewis initially joined the Broncos' practice squad on Oct. 29 and was elevated for three ensuing games against Houston, Las Vegas, and Kansas City, totaling 38 offensive snaps. A player can be elevated only three times before the club is required to sign him to the 53-man roster.

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A 20th-year pro and former Pro Bowler, Lewis, 41, became the oldest NFL tight end to ever appear in a regular-season contest when Denver defeated the Texans in Week 9.

“He’s right next door in the locker room. We’re right there, so we see each other every day," quarterback Bo Nix said of Lewis on Nov. 4. "I think his experience is going to help us a lot, just as an offense as a whole. We have experienced guys, but I think the oldest is like maybe ‘G.B’ [T Garret Bolles] and [T] Mike [McGlinchey] at like eight years. I don’t know exactly what ‘Court’ (WR Courtland Sutton) is at. We still have a young team. We’re not necessarily the most experienced team out there, so we can take all the experience we can get. Right now he’s clearly the most experienced guy at 20 years. He’s already been able to help me in some things, talk through some things and change my mindset. A guys that’s been doing it for that long, you should listen to. We’re very excited to have him, and also he’s a great player in his own right. I’m happy to have him on the field with us, too.”

Lewis will function as the TE3 and a primary blocker behind Evan Engram and Adam Trautman when the Broncos battle the Raiders in Vegas on Sunday.

Sep 29, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus and Chicago Bears tight end Marcedes Lewis (84) before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

His Swan Song?

Lewis was the 28th overall pick way back in the 2006 draft and has played in nearly 300 games, spread between stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and now the Broncos. He's totaled 437 career receptions for 5,115 yards and 40 touchdowns.

The former UCLA star recently admitted on the Nightcap podcast that he expects to retire after his brief tenure in the Mile High City.

"This will be the first time I've ever said this -- because I haven't -- but this is it," he said, via Broncos Wire.

Other Moves

In addition to Lewis, the Broncos also elevated inside linebacker Jordan Turner from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of Week 14, the team announced. Turner will be a reserve ILB and special-teamer behind starters Dre Greenlaw and Alex Singleton.

The Broncos waived ILB Garret Wallow in a corresponding transaction.