‘It’s Not Easy’; Bills Release Punter Matt Araiza Amid Gang Rape Allegation
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After a whirlwind 48 hours, the Buffalo Bills have decided to release rookie punter Matt Araiza after allegations of involvement in the gang rape of a minor.
Said Bills GM Brandon Beane: "We tried to be thorough and thoughtful and not rush to judgment, and I would say it's not easy. You're trying to put facts around a legal situation sometimes with limited information.
"This is bigger than football.”
The 22-year-old sixth-round pick out of San Diego State had been enjoying a strong preseason with the Bills, beating Matt Haack to the starting job and while being nicknamed "the Punt God.”
However, The Los Angeles Times revealed on Thursday that a civil lawsuit had been filed against Araiza and two of his former college teammates, Zavier Leonard and Nowlin Ewaliko. The three are alleged to have sexually assaulted a 17-year-old at a party last October.
Following this news, the Bills told The Times: "We were recently made aware of a civil complaint involving Matt from October 2021."
"Due to the serious nature of the complaint, we conducted a thorough examination of this matter. As this is an ongoing civil case, we will have no other comment at this point."
While Araiza had traveled to Carolina with the team as they prepared to face the Panthers in their final preseason game, head coach Sean McDermott decided to drop the rookie on Friday.
"I just felt like that was the right thing to do," McDermott said of the punter not playing. “And that's what I'm after, is doing the right thing."
In his place, third-string quarterback Matt Barkley took over punting duties.
During his post-game press conference, McDermott said he was unsure whether or not Araiza would still be on the roster come Tuesday when teams are required to finalize their initial 53-man roster.
But McDermott and Co. have clearly made up their mind.
And given the fact on Friday, McDermott had also admitted that he had learned some things regarding the situation in the past day, saying "there's been some and I'm not going to deny that" - this decision comes as even less of a surprise.
Why it took the Bills two days to cut the rookie given the severity of the allegations against him, and the fact that according to ESPN the team had reportedly been aware of the lawsuit since July is something many will be questioning for some time.
Regardless, the decision has been made. The Bills are now without a punter and Araiza, who proclaimed his innocence in a statement on Friday, is likely to have seen the last of the NFL.
