The Jacksonville Jaguars on Tuesday released tight end Marcedes Lewis in a surprise move made less than a month after his 2018 contract option was picked up.
A first-round pick in 2006, Lewis was the team’s longest-tenured player and one of only two Jaguars to play at least 12 seasons with the team, our Florida Times-Union news partner reported.
Lewis finishes his Jaguars career with 375 catches for 4,502 yards and 33 touchdowns in 170 regular season games. In announcing the move, the team said those were the most by a tight end in franchise history and the third-most by a player in team history. In five playoff games, Lewis had 10 catches for 111 yards and one touchdown.
In a phone interview with the Times-Union, Lewis, 33, said he was “dejected” about the timing of the release, which came one week after free agency opened.
“I always did my thing, even when it was uncomfortable, and handled it like a pro and I thought I deserved more than this,” Lewis said.
The Florida Times-Union will be updating this story on jacksonville.com.
