Bears release Walker; waive Leatherwood, Houy

The Bears on Sunday released veteran quarterback P.J. Walker, waived offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood and waived/injured guard Gabe Houy. 

Walker signed with the Bears in March after spending the previous three seasons with the Panthers, appearing in 15 games with seven starts and throwing for 1,461 yards with five touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 63.9 passer rating. 

In three preseason games, Walker connected on 11 of 23 passes for 96 yards with one TD, one interception and a 55.7 passer rating. His departure leaves three quarterbacks on the roster in starter Justin Fields and backups Tyson Bagent and Nathan Peterman. 

Leatherwood was selected by the Raiders with the 17th pick in the first round of the 2021 draft out of Alabama. He started all 17 games as a rookie before being waived last Aug. 31. He was claimed by the Bears the next day and appeared in four games last season, playing 32 snaps on offense and 11 on special teams. 

Houy signed with the Bears this year as an undrafted free agent from Pittsburgh. He was carted off the field in the second half of Saturday’s preseason finale versus the Bills with an injury. 

The Bears roster now stands at 84. They must trim 31 more players to reach the NFL’s mandatory 53-man limit by 3 p.m. (CT) Tuesday.