‘Punt God’ is signed by the Kansas City Chiefs to terminate their NFL ban following the dismissal of rape allegations.
The Kansas City Chiefs have offered former Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza another opportunity in the NFL following the dismissal of a rape complaint against him. For the first time since he faced those now-retracted allegations, he is back on an NFL club.
The Bills terminated Araiza before he could even begin his rookie campaign due to rape allegations stemming from a purported event in 2021. Upon joining the league as a prized prospect, he gained the moniker “Punt God” for his outstanding collegiate career.
The 23-year-old argued his innocence for over a full year. Prosecutors eventually found he was not there when the alleged assault occurred, and they exonerated him.
Araiza sent a statement via his agent along with the happy news that he has signed with the Chiefs: “I am honored and proud to sign a contract with the @Chiefs.” Being able to continue playing in the NFL excites me. I want to express my gratitude to my numerous friends who have never wavered in their support as well as my family, who have been my rock.”
Back in December, Araiza’s name was taken out of the lawsuit by a woman who said she was raped by football players from San Diego State University in 2021. Araiza decided to stop his own legal fight against her for defamation, and she agreed to withdraw him from her lawsuit, his lawyers said.
That same month, Araiza said that the experience “changed him” and insisted he wanted another shot to play in the NFL. At a press conference, he shared: “My name, my reputation – this will always be linked to me, it won’t disappear.
Even though I’ve been shown to be innocent, my family had nothing to do with anything, therefore it was difficult to watch the suffering they went through.
“I had just defeated an NFL veteran and was a starter when I got released. My contract was for four years, and I will not be getting it back. My main objective at the moment is to work my way back to where I was, as no one in the NFL is going to say, “Here’s the job that you once had.” When the time comes, I’m sure I can get back to my NFL career. In my opinion, it’s more a matter of when than if.”
Araiza found a favorable place to start his career with the defending Super Bowl winners, who will aim for a record three-peat the next season. Tommy Townsend, the punter for the Chiefs right now, is a free agent this summer.
