The Philadelphia Eagles may not have guaranteed Uar Bernard a roster spot, but they certainly made life easier for him heading into training camp. Honestly? That matters. One of the organization’s final three players added to the 2026 eight-man draft class earns some training camp certainty. He is given the International Player Pathway exemption.
What does that mean, you ask? It’s relatively simple. The Eagles can essentially carry 91 players during training camp and the preseason instead of the league-mandated limit of 90. That extra spot belongs to Bernard. For now, Bernard’s place in camp feels secure because technically, he isn’t taking someone else’s roster spot. That’s valuable for developmental players, especially international prospects who may need more time adjusting to the NFL game. The Eagles can evaluate him without immediately feeling pressure elsewhere on the roster.
The most interesting part, however, comes later. Once final roster cuts arrive, Philadelphia has two choices. They can either place Bernard on the initial 53-man roster or waive him like any other player. Here’s where the IPP rules factor in again.
If Bernard clears waivers, the Eagles can stash him on the practice squad using another exemption that creates an additional practice squad slot specifically for him. In other words, Philadelphia is allowed to carry an extra player, not once but twice.
Why Uar Bernard’s exemption matters more than people realize
Uar Bernard was selected 251st overall this past April, during Round 7 of the most recent NFL draft. The Eagles announced his signing, along with five others, at the beginning of May. The questions are about the extent to which the Eagles must go to protect him.
That’s the real question because while the exemption provides flexibility, it also introduces danger. If Bernard shows enough during preseason action, another team could absolutely claim him before he ever reaches the practice squad. Honestly, that scenario doesn’t feel impossible.
The Eagles clearly saw enough upside to reserve their IPP protection specifically for Bernard. That’s also important because it means fellow international player Joshua Weru won’t receive the same benefit. Weru counts against the standard 90-man roster limit and will compete without special protection.
The Philadelphia Eagles haven’t officially handed Uar Bernard a long-term roster spot yet. Still, by using their IPP exemption on him, they’ve made one thing very clear. They aren’t interested in letting him slip away easily.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles create extra roster flexibility with rookie Uar Bernard