The Jacksonville Jaguars Release Veteran Tight End Marcedes Lewis

Following the release of Allen Hurns this morning, the Jaguars are continuing to reshape their offensive options whilst removing signs of the old regime. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars have informed Tight End Marcedes Lewis that he has been released following 12 years of service in Northern Florida. The former UCLA Bruin became a focal point of the Jaguars’ offense in 2017, featuring heavily as both a run blocker and red-zone threat.

Mark Long (Associated Press) first broke the news this morning.

The 33 year-old faced competition for the starting role after Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Niles Paul were both brought in to bolster the depth chart earlier in the Free Agency period. However, many expected that Lewis would retain a roster spot as the Jaguars looked to make the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time in Lewis’ career.

Undoubtedly one of the legends of the franchise, the tight end ranks third all time in both receptions and receiving yards. Whilst his receiving touchdown total (33) is the second most of any Jaguar, with only Jimmy Smith (67) totalling more touchdown receptions.

Clearly disgruntled by the way his Jaguars career came to an end, Lewis told the Associated Press that he felt ‘disrespected’ by the way Jacksonville handled his release. Adding “I wish they would have done it sooner… I think I deserved better than what I got”.

Fans of the franchise will certainly miss the veteran tight end, especially after his impassioned letter published by the Players’ Tribune in January. After helping lead the roster from the pit of the AFC South all the way to Foxboro’ and the AFC title game, it is a shame that the most tenured player on the 2017 roster won’t be able to enjoy any continued success in Jacksonville. There is rarely space for sentiment in the NFL, with this latest roster move serving as a stark reminder.