Philadelphia Eagles' Josh Sills acquitted of rape and kidnapping
Sills, 25, had been indicted by a Guernsey County, Ohio, court grand jury in February on the charges, both felonies.
The jury deliberated for about three hours on Friday after hearing four days of testimony.
They found Sills not guilty of forcibly restraining the woman in his pick-up truck and forcing her to engage in sexual activity.
Sills looked on impassively as the jury foreperson read out the verdicts in court.
But after Judge Daniel G. Padden gave jurors their final instructions he offered Sills a chance to address them.
"I'd like to say thank you for everything that you've done, for paying attention, doing your due diligence in listening to the testimony," Sills said. "I have done nothing wrong, and I am glad that was proven today."
Sills's lawyer, Michael Connick, said the acquittal "ends a nearly four-year nightmare for the Sills family, and particularly Josh."
Like Sills, the woman who accused him was 21 at the time of the incident, after which she immediately filed a police report.
The police investigation took three years to complete and the indictment was announced shortly after the Eagles won the NFC Championship to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl.
A day after the indictment the NFL placed Sills, who pleaded not guilty, on the Commissioner exempt list, which barred him from playing and training with the team.
At that time Sills had made just one appearance for the team in the 2022 season, playing four snaps on special teams in a regular season win over the Arizona Cardinals.
He had been inactive for the club's postseason wins over the New York Giants and San Francsico 49ers.
