I had no idea I was still on the roster

Every day, the NFL transaction wire buzzes with news of players being signed, cut, placed on rosters, or added to injured reserve. While some of these transactions make headlines, others simply become footnotes. However, a particularly bizarre transaction made waves this week.

The Eagles decided to cut offensive tackle Bernard Williams, a 51-year-old who last played in the NFL 29 years ago.

William’s story began when he was drafted in the first round by the Eagles in 1994, and he had a promising rookie year. However, his NFL career took an unexpected turn when he was suspended before the 1995 season for testing positive for marijuana. After testing positive again during his suspension, he never managed to get reinstated. Despite this, he continued playing football in the XFL, the Canadian Football League, and Arena Football. Many assumed his ties to the NFL had long been severed.

What makes this week’s transaction even more perplexing is the fact that Williams had recently applied for benefits for former players. When asked about the cut, Williams speculated, “I had just applied for some benefits recently, and a scout for the Packers called to tell me that my name had just come across the [transaction] wire. I had some kind of idea, but they never released me. But I had no idea that I was still on the roster 29 years later.”

Williams, unaware that he was technically still an Eagle until this week, expressed his continued support for the team and their recent successes.