The Bills abruptly dumped punter Matt Araiza two years ago this month. He’s now preparing to punt again in a preseason game.
After going unsigned in 2022 and 2023, Araiza joined the Chiefs in the offseason. With former punter Tommy Townsend gone, Araiza has a clear path to winning the job.
He’ll be in full uniform again this weekend, when the Chiefs visit the Jaguars on Saturday night for the preseason opener.
“It’s going to be pretty surreal,’' Araiza told reporters on Monday, via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “Definitely going to take it all in. There were a lot of moments where I thought it was over, so I’m incredibly grateful to be here.”
The Bills released Araiza days after he was sued civilly for rape. He was thereafter cleared of any potential criminal liability. In December 2023, the lawsuit against him was dropped. It was enough to get the Chiefs to give Araiza a shot.
“I love football,’' Araiza said. “I love being out here, so it was on my mind a lot. It was tough to watch Sundays for sure. Really tough.”
He’s bracing for blowback, even though he remains steadfast in his innocence.
“Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, but I think if you do your own research, I think you can come to a pretty clear conclusion,’' Araiza said.
The sixth-round pick in the 2022 draft launched an 82-yard punt in his first and only preseason, sending the ball over the head of the returner and into the end zone. It might be time to get ready for more of the same.
“I feel like I’ve been punting really well,’' Araiza said. “I’ve continued to grow. That’s probably my favorite part is, day one here versus now, I’m continuing to get better, so I’m looking forward to that. Just continued growth.”
That strong leg likely became the difference maker for Araiza. Despite being cleared from both criminal and civil allegations, plenty of teams would have been inclined look elsewhere for help at a position where supply outweighs demand — and where it’s easy to shy away from any player who stands out from the crowd, for any reason.