The Kansas City Chiefs sign “Punt God.” Matt Araiza’s lawsuit alleging sexual assault was abandoned months later
After releasing veteran punter Matt Haack, the Buffalo Bills selected Matt Araiza in the 2022 draft with the intention of having him take over as the starting punter. A shocking complaint surfaced shortly before the rosters were reduced from ninety-nine to fifty-three players, charging the 23-year-old with raping a 17-year-old girl back in 2021.
The following day, Araiza was set free, and he hasn’t received any official attention since. However, Araiza’s accuser abandoned the case on December 12 and no criminal charges were brought.
As of right now, Matt Araiza has a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, according Adam Schefter of ESPN. Araiza has a great chance to assist the Chiefs return to the Super Bowl because punter Tommy Townsend of Kansas City is set to become a free agent.
“I am thrilled to have signed a contract with the Chiefs. Being able to continue playing in the NFL excites me. I would like to express my gratitude to my family, who have always supported me, and to all of my friends, who have never wavered. I am thrilled to be joining the Super Bowl Champions for the next chapter of my career!
Matt Araiza upon his Chiefs signing
One of the best punting prospects in college football, Matt Araiza was once thought to be.
Matt AraizaRuszkowski.
Matt Araiza was considered one of, if not the top college football punting prospect in his draft class coming out of San Diego State. Araiza won the Ray Guy Award for being the best punter in the country in 2021, despite not being the most highly-drafted player in 2022.
Araiza, known as the “Punt God,” broke the NCAA punting record with a punt average of 51.19 yards. Ryan Stonehouse has since beaten the record. But that doesn’t lessen Araiza’s incredible achievement.
Araiza was so successful at San Diego State that he chose not to play his senior year and instead entered the NFL Draft a year early. As a sixth-round pick—not bad for a punter—he was selected.
He was never able to participate in an NFL regular season game, though. In the first week of the 2024 NFL season, both the Chiefs and Araiza hope that changes.
