Josh Sills ‘grateful’ to be back practicing with the Eagles following rape acquittal

Josh Sills wasn’t sure he’d have a future in the NFL.

Even when the Eagles offensive lineman was acquitted on charges of rape and kidnapping last week, the 25-year-old said he didn’t know whether the Eagles would bring him back after a six-month stretch of legal uncertainty that began during the team’s playoff run earlier this year.

Following his second practice back with the team Tuesday, Sills said he’s eager to return to football with his criminal charges settled.

“The process I went through has not been easy,” Sills said. “It’s been very daunting for myself, but more importantly, my family. I’m glad that throughout the process I was able to clear my name. I’m glad that my family’s able to move on from this, I’m glad that I’m able to move on from this. I’m looking forward to the future.”

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“I’m just grateful to be out here,” Sills added.

Almost a year ago, Sills was an undrafted free-agent signing who somewhat surprisingly made the 53-man roster coming out of his first training camp. The 6-foot-6, 325-pounder out of Oklahoma State possessed the versatility to play guard and tackle because of his arm length and impressed the team with his strength during last summer’s practices.

He spent the regular season on the roster as the 10th offensive lineman but was inactive most game days, appearing in just one game as a special-teamer against the Arizona Cardinals. The Ohio attorney general’s office announced the felony charges against Sills after a grand jury delivered an indictment in late January following an investigation that took nearly three years. A former high school classmate of Sills’ initially filed a police report in 2019, claiming he forcibly restrained her in his pickup truck and forced her to perform oral sex after he drove her home.

The NFL placed Sills on the commissioner’s exempt list shortly after the charges were announced, which removed him from the Eagles’ active roster while they prepared for Super Bowl LVII. Sills said he spent his time on the exempt list working out on his own in unconventional ways. He went for runs, but the majority of his exercise came from manual labor on his family’s farm.

“I stayed active because I’m at home,” Sills said. “Maybe not necessarily lifting weights, but square [hay] bales, that sort of thing.”

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said the organization took the charges seriously but was glad to bring Sills back once the not guilty verdict was announced.

“We never took the charge lightly,” Sirianni said. “So you’re completely aware of that, and then he goes on the exempt list. We followed all the protocols there as far as just [wanting] to let the legal process play itself out. I think just, at the end of the day, we let the legal process and the league’s decision to take him off the exempt list make our decision, right?

“So my experience with Josh has been nothing but positive. He’s been a great teammate and done his job and guys love him on this team. So my experience with him has been great. We’re happy to have him back.”

Added Sills: “They just said they’re glad to have me back. They’re glad to see me around. I just make sure they know that I’m beyond appreciative of them welcoming me back.”

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The lineman’s return to football has featured some ups and downs in the first two sessions. He struggled against first-round rookie Jalen Carter in one-on-one pass-rushing drills but fared much better against seventh-round rookie Moro Ojomo in their two reps against one another.

Sills has played mostly left guard in the first two sessions since returning, although he said his instruction from the coaching staff is to be ready to play wherever he may be needed.

“I have some catching up to do,” Sills said. “But I’m looking forward to that. That’s part of playing the football game that everybody chases — trying to get better.”