The Kansas City Chiefs took a big step in preparing to say goodbye to punter Tommy Townsend on Thursday, signing former Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza.
And humility that is truly inspiring.
— JL Sports (@JLSports3) February 22, 2024
Matt can now move forward knowing that this ordeal is behind him.
He is thrilled to move forward as a part of the #ChiefsKingdom
I am excited to begin the next phase of my career with the Super Bowl Champs!”
— JL Sports (@JLSports3) February 22, 2024
The "Punt God" had a stellar college career at San Diego State, earning the Ray Guy Award in 2021 as the NCAA's Most Outstanding Punter. Araiza was also named a consensus All-American that season after leading the country in punting yards (4,044) and average yards per punt (51.2).
He was selected by the Bills in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft in late April, but allegations of Araiza's involvement in a gang rape in 2021 surfaced that August. Buffalo cut Araiza two days after the allegations came out.
The former Aztec had a workout with the New York Jets last May after being cleared of any wrongdoing following an investigation conducted by the school. Araiza had an uphill battle to claim a roster spot though, as New York had already signed veteran Pro Bowler Thomas Morstead that April.
The woman who said Araiza raped her dropped her civil suit against the 23-year-old in December.
Townsend signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in April 2020 and has played in each of the team's 79 games (including 13 playoff games and three Super Bowls) over the past four seasons. He was a Pro Bowler and was named first-team All-Pro in 2022 but is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency in March.
The #Jets worked out Matt Araiza last year but he has not punted in the NFL since the 2022 preseason when the #Bills released him. Buffalo’s sixth-round pick that year, Araiza gets a second chance at the NFL level after he was dropped from his accuser’s lawsuit in December.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 22, 2024
No surprise they're looking for a Punter with Tommy potentially on the way out .. a surprise with the name they're chasing. As of Dec. he has been dropped from the lawsuit from SDSU and not charged stemming from a rape case back in 2022. https://t.co/DbxfuDGVJS
— Harold R. Kuntz (@HaroldRKuntz3) February 22, 2024
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