The Green Bay Packers walked out of Denver with a slew of injuries on Sunday evening. Micah Parsons, Christian Watson, and Zach Tom were all players who were injured at one point during the 34-26 loss to the Denver Broncos, leaving Green Bay significantly shorthanded as they approach Saturday’s game against the division-leading Chicago Bears.
Another area where the Packers are running out of players is the tight end position. Green Bay already lost Tucker Kraft to a torn ACL earlier this year, and the room got thinner on Sunday when Josh Whyle suffered a concussion.
With Luke Musgrave and John FitzPatrick being the two remaining tight ends on the roster, the Packers would be wise to look for some help, and Andy Herman of the Pack A Day Podcast suggested a name Green Bay could call is Marcedes Lewis, whose reunion appears to make too much sense heading into Week 16.
Packers Should Call Marcedes Lewis Ahead of Showdown vs. Bears
The Packers could roll with Musgrave and FitzPatrick during Saturday’s game against the Bears, but it would leave them lacking in the pass-blocking department. Musgrave has become more of a vertical threat filling in for Kraft, although he hasn’t allowed any pressures in 17 pass-blocking snaps per Pro Football Focus. John Fitzpatrick also hasn’t allowed any pressures on 21 pass-blocking snaps this season, but the Packers weren’t able to protect Jordan Love on Sunday, who was pressured a season-high 58.7% in the loss to Denver.
With Tom’s status also uncertain due to a knee injury, the Packers would be best served to help out Darian Kinnard or Jordan Morgan at right tackle. But they also wouldn’t like to short-change their passing game by keeping Musgrave in to block – especially if Watson misses Saturday’s game due to a chest injury.
This could mean the Packers could turn to Lewis, a 20-year veteran who spent five seasons in Green Bay from 2018 to 2022. The 41-year-old is currently a member of the Broncos' practice squad, but that shouldn't be much of a problem given that Denver cannot elevate Lewis off the practice squad any more times. The Packers would have to bring him onto the active roster to make a move work, but that may be possible if Whyle is unable to clear concussion protocol this week.
If the Packers made the move, there’s a good chance it would pay off. One of the biggest reasons Lewis remains in the league is his pass blocking, which saw him post an 80.9 grade and allow one pressure on 37 snaps with the Bears last season. While Lewis has only played 66 snaps for the Broncos this year, he’s also out of elevations, which could entice him to take this opportunity.
As a former team captain, Lewis could also help out Musgrave and FitzPatrick as receivers and take some heat off Green Bay’s other weapons with 437 career receptions, including 57 as a member of the Packers.
Signing Lewis won’t be enough to make Packers fans forget about a brutal day in Denver. But the Packers may need to do something ahead of Saturday’s showdown. For a one-game fill-in, Lewis makes the most sense and could be wearing green and gold again by the time the Packers kick off in Chicago.