Why Eagles' Uar Bernard, Joshua Weru Were 'Too Many Lightyears Away' To Make Roster

Niigeria's Uar Bernard, a sevent-round pick, and Kenya's Josh Weru did not make the 53-man roster.

Uar Bernard makes a play in the preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 28, 2026. | Dan Shrensky/Eagles on SI freelance

PHILADELPHIA – Had they been anything less than lightyears away, maybe just months, perhaps Uar Bernard and Josh Weru are on the Eagles’ 53-man roster. They aren’t. Despite all the attention paid to the football novices all summer, neither did enough to land a job.

Perhaps they will make the practice squad. Certainly, one will make the International Pathway Program exemption.

When Vic Fangio said both are lightyears away, he wasn’t kidding. The two showed glimpses – very small ones – in the preseason, but far from enough to reserve a spot for while the team waits for team to develop into contributors. If they ever do.

If they stick around it would be up to Fangio, the defensive coordinator and his staff to inch them along. It’s a staff that includes defensive tackle coach Clint Hurtt for Bernard and Jeremiah Washburn for Weru. There will be others involved, including both players’ teammates, and that’s a pretty darn good cast, room with DTs Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo, along with edge rushers/outside linebackers Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt, and Nolan Smith.

There is no way they are even close to ready to suit up in an NFL game without being more of a liability than a help.

Bernard was a seventh-round pick last spring. He had never played an NFL game in his life, most of which was spent in Nigeria, playing soccer and basketball.

No Roster Room for Uar Bernard Or Josh Weru

Eagles Joshua Weru played 30 snaps in the team's first preseason game. | Ed Kracz/Eagles on SI

Weru was born in Kenya, but went to school in England, taking up rugby. Like Bernard, he had never played a down of football until arriving in Philadelphia.

Both players flashed during preseason games, with Weru recording a sack in one game and getting a couple pressures. He still needs to learn to set the edge after being gashed a few times in the run game. Bernard showed muscle with some bullrush efforts and made a tackle or two in the run game.

The 6-5, 305-pound Bernard even broke the team down a couple of times, even showing off his athletic prowess.

“It's just like normal football chants, but that's just what he knows about the sport of football,” said Ty Robinson, who was one of five defensive tackles the Eagles kept on the 53. “When he gets in the middle and he starts doing one of those chants, it gets the guys pretty fired up because he kind of brings the juice and the next thing you know, he's jumping, you know, seven feet in the air above everybody and it's like, it kind of like, ‘Holy (bleep), this dude is a freak.’”