In 2022, the Bills liked punter Matt Araiza enough to use a sixth-round pick to draft him. Now, when they need a punter in advance of the most important game of the year, they had no interest in bringing him back.
By signing Matt Haack to the practice squad as the potential replacement for Sam Martin, who suffered a hamstring injury on Monday, the Bills ignored Araiza.
It’s easy to say Araiza hasn’t been in football for two full seasons. They still could have brought him in for a workout. They did not.
The Bills abruptly cut Araiza after he was sued in civil court for rape in August 2022. It has since been determined that there will be no criminal charges, and the civil case against him has been dropped. He still can’t get a shot.
Maybe he will in 2024. Maybe he’ll need to go to the UFL (he’s not on the preliminary rosters of any of the eight teams from the merged XFL and USFL did not). At some point, it’s not simply fair to give him a shot. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s wrong to continue to shun him.
He’s been exonerated. There’s no possibility for a suspension under the Personal Conduct Policy. He has shown that he has the potential to be a great NFL punter.
For now, the Bills weren’t willing to let him audition for the job he once held. It will be interesting to see if and when an NFL team ever gives him a chance to continue a career that was derailed by a lawsuit against him that ultimately was abandoned.
