The Chiefs recently secured the signing of Matt Araiza, as announced by the athlete’s agent on X (formerly known as Twitter). Araiza, a punter, had been released from the Bills in 2022 amid rape allegations faced by him and two San Diego State teammates. However, the lawsuit against him was dropped in December, along with his defamation lawsuit against the woman involved, with no monetary exchanges in either direction.
Expressing joy at Araiza’s return to the NFL, his defense attorney Kerry Armstrong emphasized the athlete’s perseverance since his dismissal by the Bills in August 2022. Armstrong expressed confidence that Araiza, who had previously set punting records at San Diego State, would accumulate numerous NFL punting records by the time of his retirement.
The Bills became aware of the allegations after the July 2022 draft and initially named Araiza as their starting punter. However, he was released in August, just two days after the lawsuit was filed, without having played a regular-season game for the team.
Despite being out of the NFL and navigating the allegations, Araiza remained dedicated to his innocence, according to Dick Semerdjian, an attorney representing Araiza. Semerdjian highlighted Araiza’s commitment to maintaining his kicking skills and staying in top physical condition. The legal team expressed excitement that Araiza, now fully exonerated, is returning to the NFL with the reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.
