Getty Former Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza.
Now fully cleared of his legal issues, former Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza is focusing on his NFL comeback attempt and has found a new home with the Super Bowl champions.
ESPN’s Adam Teicher reported on February 22 that the Kansas City Chiefs signed the punter, who had been dismissed from a lawsuit claiming he raped a 17-year-old girl in 2021 at an off-campus party while he was at San Diego State University. Araiza had been drafted by the Bills in 2022 but was released in August after he had been named in a lawsuit.
Araiza will now have the chance to compete for a spot on the Super Bowl champions, as All-Pro punter Tommy Townsend is headed to free agency.
New Chance for Matt Araiza
Araiza had been working on finding a new team since being released by the Bills. After going unsigned through the 2022 season, Mexican football team Galgos de Tijuana announced in February 2022 that they had signed Araiza, but the new position was short-lived. ESPN’s Adam Schefter later tweeted that Araiza would not be going to Mexico after all and still hoped to return to the NFL.
“Araiza, who was reported to have signed with Galgos de Tijuana of the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional in Mexico, never signed with the team and remains a free agent, hoping for an opportunity in the NFL, per his agent Joe Linta.”
Araiza’s NFL hopes got a boost last season when he earned a workout with the New York Jets, but he ultimately went unsigned.
After signing with the Chiefs, his agent released a statement thanking the team for giving him a chance.
“We are grateful to Brett Veach, coach Reid and the @Chiefs organization for giving Matt this opportunity,” agent Joe Linta wrote on X.
Bills Faced Controversy After Drafting Punter
After the allegations against Araiza first surfaced during the 2022 preseason, the Bills faced some criticism for drafting him without properly vetting his background. But a report from Yahoo Sports from May 2023 showed that a police investigation determined that Araiza had left an off-campus party by the time the alleged assault took place, and the punter released a statement thanking investigators.
“I am aware that the facts of this case have been made public,” Araiza said in a statement to Pro Football Talk. “I am deeply gratified for the thorough work of the DA’s office in San Diego and for all the witnesses that were willing to come forward and tell the truth. I am thankful that the facts of this case as provided by the witnesses will prove that what I have been saying from the beginning is, in fact, the truth.”
Araiza went on to thank those who supported him, saying it was a “dark” period for him.
“I am beyond thankful for the unwavering support of both my family and friends,” Araiza said in the statement. “They have been a rock in what has been a very dark eight months for me. However, now that the truth is out, I am amazed by the thousands of emails and tweets supporting me. It has truly been a blessing to know so many people have now judged me by the facts.”