Matt Araiza, Chiefs Agree to Contract; Was Cut by Bills amid Sexual Assault Lawsuit | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

The agency representing free-agent punter Matt Araiza announced Thursday that Araiza has signed with the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

JL Sports announced the move on X and also posted a statement made by Araiza, who said:

"I am proud and honored to sign a contract with the Chiefs. I am thrilled to be able to continue my NFL career. I want to thank my family, who have been my rock and my many friends who have been unwavering in their support. I am excited to begin the next phase of my career with the Super Bowl champs!"

The Buffalo Bills selected Araiza with the No. 180 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft, but he never played a regular-season game for the Bills, as they released him prior to the 2022 season amid sexual assault allegations.

Per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Araiza was never charged with a crime, and both Araiza and his accuser dropped their civil lawsuits against each other in December.

Per the Associated Press, Araiza was one of five former San Diego State University football players named in the civil lawsuit. While Araiza was dropped from the suit, the lawsuit moved forward against the other four players.

Araiza agreed to drop his defamation lawsuit, but he reserves the right to sue his accuser's attorney for harm caused.

After it was decided no criminal charges would be filed against Araiza, he had a workout with the New York Jets in May 2023, but they declined to sign him, and he did not play in 2023 after missing the entire 2022 season as well.

During his three-year collegiate career at San Diego State, Araiza was nicknamed "Punt God" due to his booming leg.

He primarily served as a kicker over his first two seasons, but Araiza pulled double duty in 2021 and established himself as a leading NFL draft candidate as a punter by virtue of averaging 51.2 yards per punt on 79 attempts.

Araiza was named a unanimous All-American as a result, and he won the Ray Guy Award as the most outstanding punter in the nation.

The Bills drafted Araiza with the intention of making him their punter, and he showed flashes of brilliance during the preseason, but amid public pressure due to rape allegations, Buffalo released him and signed veteran Sam Martin.

Since joining the Chiefs in 2020, Tommy Townsend has been one of the best punters in the NFL, averaging 47.4 total yards per punt and 42.8 net yards per punt.

In 2022, Townsend was named a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro for the first time, as he averaged a career-best 50.4 yards per punt and 45.6 net yards per punt.

Townsend is set to hit free agency this offseason, so if the Chiefs are unwilling or unable to bring Townsend back at his desired salary, they now have the option of replacing the two-time Super Bowl champion with Araiza.

Araiza has yet to prove himself at the NFL level, but he is still just 23 years of age and will likely have a chip on his shoulder, so it has the potential to be a great signing for KC.