Matt Araiza will start as the Kansas City Chiefs’ punter this season, two years after the Buffalo Bills fired him in a lawsuit over rape allegations.
The rape charge was dropped and Araiza signed with the Chiefs in February. He competed with Ryan Rhekow for the starting punter spot in training camp and by the end of the preseason he was the team’s full-time punter.
Araiza was officially released on Tuesday when the Chiefs reduced their roster to 53 men.
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Kansas City Chiefs punter Matt Araiza (No. 49) on the sidelines against the Detroit Lions during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 17, 2024. (Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports)
Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub explained last month why Araiza should be the starting punter.
“Both guys did a great job. Ryan Rehkow, the kid from BYU that we had, did a great job. It was a tough decision,” Toub said, via Chiefs Wire. “It wasn’t totally clear, but in the end Matt was a little more consistent day to day. With him being a left-handed punter and a little older, I guess we made that decision. I didn’t want to go into this camp with two guys.”
Toub said Araiza could potentially provide a different look for the punt returner because of his left-handed position.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid also spoke briefly about Araiza on August 5.
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Kansas City Chiefs punter Matt Araiza, No. 49, walks from the locker room to the field before training camp at Missouri Western State University in Kansas City, Missouri, July 26, 2024. (Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports)
“I like him,” Reid said. “Just keep working — keep being consistent. You can see that — he’s getting this thing going.”
Araiza also commented at the time on whether he thought he could punt again.
“There were times when I didn’t and there were times when I did,” he said. “Honestly, it was always going back and forth in my head. Yes, there were many moments when I thought it was over. I’m incredibly grateful to be here.”
Araiza will likely get his first opportunity to punt next week when the Chiefs open their season against the Baltimore Ravens, and he said he knows how special that moment will be.
“It’s going to be pretty surreal. I’m definitely going to take it all in,” he said. “Like I said, I’m just grateful for the opportunity and grateful to be able to relive that moment because that’s my favorite thing: being out there in a pressure situation, in a game, with a lot of pressure, with pads on (and) everything. I think that’s when I’m at my best, so I can’t wait to get back out there.”
The case against Araiza was dropped in December.
Kansas City Chiefs punter Matt Araiza (No. 49) walks down the hill from the locker room to the playing fields before training camp at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri, July 22, 2024. (Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports)
He is known as the “Punt God” at San Diego State University and the Bills selected him in the sixth round of the 2022 draft. However, he was released before the start of the season after the lawsuit came to light.
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He won the 2021 Ray Guy Award – an award for the best college punter – and was an All-American that same year.
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