With preparation for Super Bowl LVII about to start for the Eagles with a walkthrough practice on Thursday, the organization received some troubling off-the-filed news with the indictment of backup offensive lineman Josh Sills on some troubling criminal charges.
Sills has been accused of rape and kidnapping charges in his native Ohio, stemming from an alleged incident on Dec. 5, 2019, in Guernsey County, Ohio where Stills is accused to have “engaged in sexual activity that was not consensual and held a victim against her will.”
The indictment comes just 10 days before the NFC champion Eagles are set to play the AFC kingpin Kansas City Chiefs in Glendale, Ariz.
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 remained 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 reps.
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. He moved from WVU to the Cowboys after this alleged incident.
Sills has been summoned to appear in court on Feb. 16, five days after the Super Bowl.
The Eagles issued a 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.”
