The NFL removed Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Josh Sills from the commissioner's exempt list Friday after being acquitted by an Ohio jury on charges of rape and kidnapping.
The NFL has notified the #Eagles that Josh Sills has been removed from the commissioner's exempt list and is eligible to join the club. His status will be included in tomorrow's league's personnel notice.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 4, 2023
Sills, who was found not guilty on all charges, thanked the jury after the ruling before maintaining he did "nothing wrong."
BREAKING: An Ohio jury acquitted #Philadelphia #Eagles player #JoshSills of raping and kidnapping a woman in December 2019. #NFL
— Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) August 4, 2023
Read more here: https://t.co/PbpFjiGYne pic.twitter.com/xnXdk5Icwp
Sills was indicted shortly after Super Bowl LVII, charged with engaging in non-consensual sexual activity while holding the victim, a former high school classmate, against her will outside a bar in Guernsey County, Ohio, in 2019.
Despite the heinous allegations against Sills, the Eagles kept him on their roster, even after he was placed on the commissioner's exempt list while the wheels of justice turned. According to Josh Tolentino of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sills' attorney, Michael Connick, said the lineman will rejoin the Eagles in Philadelphia "within the next couple of days."
Soon after the verdict, the Eagles released a statement confirming Sills would be back.
"We are aware that the legal matter involving Josh Sills has been adjudicated and he was found not guilty," the statement read. "The organization has monitored the situation. The NFL has removed him from the Commissioner's Exempt List and he will return to the team's active roster."
Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022, Sills suited up for one regular season game for the Eagles, playing four special teams snaps in a Week 6 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Now, he'll reunite with his Eagles teammates at training camp, where he'll battle it out with Tyler Steen, Tyrese Robinson and Sua Opeta for a backup role at guard for Philly.
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