Bills Name Starting Punter After Next Round of Cuts
It's not every year you see a battle between two punters for a roster spot. And in the Buffalo Bills' case, it may be a long time before there is another competition for the starting job.
Sixth-round rookie punter Matt Araiza, known by fans as the "Punt God" appears to have won the Bills starting punter job after the team released veteran Matt Haack.
Haack spent four seasons with the Miami Dolphins before heading to the Bills on a three-year contract last season. He played well for the Bills last season, punting in all 17 games, but he wasn't able to put together enough of a case to beat out the rookie Araiza.
Araiza arrives in Buffalo armed with the nickname of "Punt God" after a prolific career with San Diego State. Upon his selection with the 180th overall pick of the draft, the former Aztec became the first punter chosen by the Bills since John Nies in 1990. Among his collegiate honors was a unanimous All-American nomination as well as the Ray Guy Award, both in 2021. Araiza declined his final year of eligibility to go pro and was the third of four punters chosen on Day 3 of the draft.
Earlier this preseason, Araiza booted one of the longest punts in NFL history. He kicked the ball 82 yards in the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts, which is possibly one of the reasons why he won the starting job.
Bills Mafia should get used to seeing many more of these punts from Araiza as the rookie has solidified his role with the team.
