The NFL waiver claim period concluded earlier on Wednesday and the Chicago Bears were busy working to improve their team. General manager Ryan Poles claimed six players off of waivers and headlining the list is former 2021 first-round tackle Alex Leatherwood.
The Bears claimed 6 players off of waivers:
OL Alex Leatherwood
DT Armani Watts
DB Josh Blackwell
DE Kingsley Johnathan
LB Sterling Weatherford
TE Trevin WescoNo team added more players via waivers.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 31, 2022
Leatherwood was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the 17th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Alabama. He was projected as a tackle, but moved inside to guard due to struggles on the outside. Leatherwood started all 17 regular season games for the Raiders in 2021, but wasn’t living up to expectations and struggled during this year’s preseason. The new regime in Las Vegas decided to cut ties early and put him on waivers before he started his second season.
The Bears chose to claim him, meaning they’re on the hook for his rookie contract that has $5.9 million left in guaranteed money. The claim opens the door for renewed competition for players like Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom, who appeared to have locked down the right guard and right tackle position in the preseason, respectively. Now with Leatherwood in the mix, all bets are off. Leatherwood is the second former first-round pick to join the offensive line, joining veteran Riley Reiff.
The news of Leatherwood joining the Bears was a surprise to many, with most expressing happiness over the move, while some are puzzled with the decision.