Eagles second-year lineman Josh Sills found not guilty of rape, kidnapping in Ohio

Six months ago, Josh Sills was placed by the NFL on the commissioner's exemption list after being indicted in Ohio on rape and kidnapping charges. As we settle into August and prepare for its first weekend, the second-year Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman has been found not guilty in a court of law.

The charges stem from a December of 2019 incident when Sills was still playing football at the collegiate level. A report of the incident was filed with police the next day, but it would be more than three years before he was criminally charged.

Josh Sills is expected to return to the Philadelphia Eagles within days.

Before we close, we'd be remiss if we didn't state the following. The seriousness of the above charges evokes emotions in all of us. Every crime that involves anyone who has been victimized often forces us into decisions about whether we should state anything on the subject.

There are times we do and times we determine the best decision is for us to steer clear of these types of topics entirely. Our intentions here are to provide the facts of the report and nothing more.
We hope that is what has been gathered. Our hope is that every victim of this unfortunate incident finds the ability to move on and heal.

Sills’ attorney, Michael Connick, informed Josh Tolentino of The Philadelphia Inquirer that the second-year lineman is expected to travel to Philadelphia and rejoin the Eagles within the next couple of days.

"He’ll be able to build his football career and grow as a person and be successful in all of the things that he chooses to do. It’s unfortunate he was accused of this. It cost him a Super Bowl appearance. He will move on and live his life in a very honorable fashion."

The Philadelphia Eagles released a statement on Friday.

Sills was one of 13 undrafted rookie free agents the Eagles added after the close of the 2022 NFL Draft and one of only three UDFAs that survived final cuts and made the initial 53-man roster. Following the reading of the verdict, he offered a few words. “I’ve done nothing wrong, and am glad that was proven today".

Check out these other Eagles stories as well.