# Eagles release player who hasn't played since 1994 (Bernard Williams) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [November 21, 2023, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eagles-release-player-who-hasnt-played-since-1994-bernard-williams/993449 "2023-11-21T00:08:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2023, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eagles-release-player-who-hasnt-played-since-1994-bernard-williams/993449/1 "2023-11-21T00:08:03Z")
Bernard Williams, who was suspended from the Philadelphia Eagles in October 1995 for marijuana and never again played another NFL snap, was finally released from the roster when the NFL brought his status to the Eagles’ attention. > **[Eagles release a former 1st-round pick … 29 years after he played his last game](https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/eagles-release-a-former-1st-round-pick-29-years-after-he-played-his-last-game/546815/)** > > In a bizarre roster transaction, the Eagles released one of their former first-round picks on Thursday. He wasn’t getting paid, and he wasn’t earning pension time. > Williams, 51, can now be claimed by any other team. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2023, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eagles-release-player-who-hasnt-played-since-1994-bernard-williams/993449/2 "2023-11-21T00:13:47Z")
He might own the NFL record for longest-tenured player. I think Lurie ought to have given him a Super Bowl ring in February 2018. It would have been good PR. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2023, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eagles-release-player-who-hasnt-played-since-1994-bernard-williams/993449/3 "2023-11-23T17:56:13Z")
Lurie didn’t know he was in the roster in 2018. It would have been interesting to know why the guy never applied for reinstatement. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2023, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eagles-release-player-who-hasnt-played-since-1994-bernard-williams/993449/4 "2023-11-23T18:11:10Z")
![](https://media.tenor.com/YU2TlZ--D94AAAAd/office-space-fixed.gif) ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eagles-release-player-who-hasnt-played-since-1994-bernard-williams/993449/5 "2023-11-26T04:27:15Z")
Aren’t there roster size limits? Did no one notice he was taking up space on that? ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eagles-release-player-who-hasnt-played-since-1994-bernard-williams/993449/6 "2023-11-26T06:27:13Z")
There are, but players suspended by the NFL don’t count towards them. Almost certainly, there was the thought that the Eagles would use him after his suspension ended, and thus never released him. However, Williams never applied for reinstatement, thus never came off suspension. Eventually, everyone forgot about it. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2023, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eagles-release-player-who-hasnt-played-since-1994-bernard-williams/993449/7 "2023-11-26T06:57:14Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > He wasn’t getting paid, and he wasn’t earning pension time. I wonder how many times it got him laid over the years? _“Yeah, Bady! I’m a Professional Football Player!”_ ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eagles-release-player-who-hasnt-played-since-1994-bernard-williams/993449/8 "2023-11-27T14:34:42Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Lurie didn’t know he was in the roster in 2018. It would have been interesting to know why the guy never applied for reinstatement. Because he was high? ---
**Author:** ![Borborygmi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/borborygmi/32/217_2.png) [@Borborygmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borborygmi)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2023, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eagles-release-player-who-hasnt-played-since-1994-bernard-williams/993449/9 "2023-11-27T20:09:04Z")
_I was gonna apply to be reinstated until I got high_ _I was feeling pretty motivated but then I got high_ _I’m still on the Eagles and I know why…_