The Denver Broncos, currently on a five-game winning streak, made two essential roster moves ahead of their Week 9 showdown against the Houston Texans. The team elevated veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis and wide receiver Michael Bandy from the practice squad to the active roster, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. The decision comes as Denver manages depth problems on offense, with tight ends Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull out due to injuries and wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. missing time with a concussion.
Lewis, 41, will make history if he takes the field on Sunday. The former 2006 first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars will become the oldest player in Broncos franchise history and the oldest tight end ever to play in the NFL.
Entering his 20th NFL season, Lewis has appeared in 285 career games, recording 437 receptions for 5,115 yards and 40 touchdowns. Though he once demonstrated top-tier receiving ability, earning a Pro Bowl honor in 2010, Lewis has evolved into one of the league’s most respected blocking tight ends.
Denver signed Lewis earlier in the week to bolster a depleted tight end group after unsuccessful waiver claims for Brendan Bates and Ben Sims.
Head coach Sean Payton praised Lewis as a tremendous blocker, a skill that could prove crucial against a Houston defense ranked fifth in the NFL against the run. Denver’s offense, averaging 137.8 rushing yards per game (third-best in the league), will look to continue its ground success behind Lewis’s veteran presence.
Lewis has sustained one of the longest careers ever seen in the NFL. He entered the league the same year Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts won the Super Bowl (2006) and current Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans took home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
After 12 seasons in Jacksonville, Lewis spent five years with the Green Bay Packers, followed by two seasons in Chicago, where he appeared in all 17 games in 2024, and finished with one catch for two yards.
Meanwhile, Michael Bandy returns to the Broncos' active roster after spending the past two seasons on the practice squad. The 27-year-old receiver, who last played in 2023, has 10 career receptions for 89 yards across 12 games. His promotion adds needed depth with Mims unavailable.
