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Bernard, Weru Clear Waivers, Retained to Eagles Practice Squad
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- Bernard, Weru Clear Waivers, Retained to Eagles Practice Squad
Two of the NFL's most unique prospects will remain on the Philadelphia Eagles in 2026, albeit on the practice squad.
Uar Bernard is not your typical 6-foot-4, 306-pound defensive line prospect. He was a seventh-round draft pick in 2026 despite never playing a down of organized American football.
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Bernard is a native Nigerian who is completely new to the sport and was discovered through the NFL's International Player Pathway program. At his IPP pro day, Bernard recorded a 4.63 40-yard dash time, a 39-inch vertical leap, and a broad jump of 10'10", astonishing numbers for a man his size. Bernard also performed 31 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press and registered a bodyfat percentage of only six percent. These physical qualities were enough for the Eagles to draft him and overlook his lack of experience on the football gridiron.
This preseason, Bernard recorded two solo tackles.
Fellow African Joshua Weru is an outside linebacker prospect the Eagles picked up this offseason as an undrafted free agent. A native of Kenya, Weru was also discovered through the IPP program and was a former rugby player. In his first pro football action this preseason, Weru recorded two solo tackles, two assisted tackles, and one sack. Weru is listed at 6-foot-4 and 227 pounds.
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"These guys have tremendous ability to be developed," general manager Howie Roseman said.
As practice squad members, Bernard and Weru can participate in meetings, practice against NFL offensive linemen, and learn the technical details of their positions without being rushed into game action.
The Eagles are no strangers to discovering international NFL talent. In 2018, Philadelphia selected offensive line prospect Jordan Mailata in the seventh round of the draft. Mailata had participated in the IPP program and was a former rugby player in Australia with no experience in American football. Since then, Mailata has seen action in 90 NFL games, including 85 starts and was a Pro Bowl alternate in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Mailata has also been a Second Team All-Pro and was an integral part of Philadelphia's Super Bowl championship team two years ago.
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It remains to be seen if Bernard and Weru can be as productive as Mailata. However, it is another low risk, high reward gamble by Roseman to see if either player can be molded into a quality professional in the future.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
