Eagles' Josh Sills Indicted on Rape and Kidnapping Charges
The lead-up to any Super Bowl has some built-in distraction but the Eagles are reeling from the unwanted variety after backup offensive lineman Josh Sills was indicted on rape and kidnapping charges in his native Ohio.
The announcement came on Wednesday and was first reported by TMZ.
The news broke just 10 days before the NFC champions are set to play the AFC kingpin Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.
The charges are related to an incident that allegedly occurred in Guernsey County, Ohio on Dec. 5, 2019, when Stills is accused to have "engaged in sexual activity that was not consensual and held a victim against her will."
The Guernsey County Sheriff's Office conducted an investigation into the accusations and ultimately placed the case in front of a grand jury that indicted Sills on one felony count of rape and one felony count of kidnapping.
Sills, 25, made the Eagles as an undrafted rookie free agent this spring and summer and stuck on the 53-man roster for the entire campaign but only played in one game, at Arizona on Oct. 9 where he made his NFL debut with four special teams snaps.
He was one of three UDFAs to make the Eagles’ roster this summer, along with defensive backs Reed Blankenship and Josh Jobe.
Sills began his college career at West Virginia before finishing up at Oklahoma State and Sills’ versatility caught the eye of well-regarded offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland in training camp.
Sills was issued a summons to appear in court on Feb. 16, four days after the Super Bowl.
The Eagles issued a boilerplate statement on the issue Wednesday afternoon.
"The organization is aware of the legal matter involving Josh Sills," the statement read. "We have been in communication with the league office and are in the process of gathering more information. We have no further comment at this time."
The NFL then placed Sills on the Commissioner Exempt List, prohibiting the rookie from participating in practices or games. He also will not be allowed to travel with the team while on the list, meaning Sills will not accompany the Eagles to Glendale on Sunday for the Super Bowl.
The allegations will also be reviewed under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
