How a 41-year-old tight end could pass Tom Brady in the NFL record book in Week 9

After spending the first two months of the season as a free agent, Marcedes Lewis finally found a team to sign with this week when he made a deal to join the Denver Broncos. Although Lewis was signed to the practice squad, the tight end was promoted to the active roster on Saturday, which means there's a good chance the 41-year-old could end up passing Tom Brady in the NFL record book on Sunday. 

And yes, you read that right: a tight end could end up passing Brady in the record book. 

During his 23-year career, Brady re-wrote the NFL record book at the quarterback position, but what you may not know is that he also has a spot in the record book as a pass-catcher. During the 2018 season, Brady caught one pass for 6 yards, which is notable, because it means he has the SECOND-MOST receiving yards in NFL history for a player over 40 years old. 

Let's take a look at the all-time list for receiving yards over the age of 40:

1. Jerry Rice: 2,169 yards
2. Tom Brady: 6 yards
3. Marcedes Lewis: 2 yards

As you can see, there are only three players in NFL history who have recorded any positive receiving yards after turning 40. If Lewis can total just five receiving yards on Sunday against the Houston Texans, he'll pass Brady. 

"It's surreal, still trying to take it all in, but I'm really proud today," Lewis told Fox Sports on Sunday. 

Lewis recorded a total of 29 receiving yards as recently as 2023 while playing for the Chicago Bears, and if he can get near that total again, he'll blow past Brady in the record book. Lewis actually had a chance to pass during the 2024 season, but he only caught one pass for two yards during his 17 games with the Bears. 

The 41-year-old tight end has put himself in a position to pass Brady because of his longevity. Lewis has been in the NFL since 2006 when the Jaguars made him the 28th overall pick in the NFL Draft. That was so long ago that Lewis was in the same draft class as the head coach the Broncos will be facing on Sunday (DeMeco Ryans). Back in 2006, Lewis was actually selected five spots ahead of Ryans, who went 33rd overall to the Texans. 

The game against Houston will mark the start of Lewis' 20th season, which is the NFL record for most seasons played by a tight end. Lewis also holds the record for most games played by a tight end at 285. Jason Witten held the previous record at 271, but Lewis broke that during the 2024 season. Lewis has actually played in the 19th most games of any player in NFL history. If he ends up playing in Denver's final nine games, that would put him at 294 games played for his career, which would be the 17th most in NFL history. 

Lewis turned 41 on May 19, and by taking the field for Sunday's game, he became the second-oldest active player in the NFL behind only Aaron Rodgers. (Lewis is younger than the Steelers quarterback by five months.)