Report: KC Chiefs Signing Punter Matt Araiza After Dropped Lawsuit
The Kansas City Chiefs appear to be making a change at punter, potentially moving on from pending free agent Tommy Townsend by signing former sixth-round pick and Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza, who was released by the Bills in Aug. 2022 following a gang rape allegation in a civil lawsuit.
First reported by Jeremy Fowler, Araiza's signing could lead to his first official NFL action after he was released before his first regular-season game.
Araiza's agency, JL Sports, tweeted their thanks to the Chiefs and members of the organization after his reported signing.
We are proud to announce that our client @matt_araiza has signed with the @Chiefs . We are grateful to Brett Veach, coach Reid and the @Chiefs organization for giving Matt this opportunity. Matt has been to hell and back in the last 18 months. He has handled himself with grace And humility that is truly inspiring. Matt can now move forward knowing that this ordeal is behind him. He is thrilled to move forward as a part of the #ChiefsKingdom
On Aug. 27, The Associated Press summarized the lawsuit Araiza was facing:
Matt Araiza, the “Punt God” who led San Diego State to a record-setting season before being drafted by the Buffalo Bills, and two of his former Aztecs teammates were accused in a civil lawsuit Thursday of gang-raping a teenager at an off-campus party last fall.
The lawsuit, filed in San Diego County Superior Court, accuses Araiza, Zavier Leonard and Nowlin “Pa’a” Ewaliko of gang-raping a then-17-year-old girl at a Halloween party at a home where Araiza had been living.
The plaintiff, now 18, is identified in the complaint as “Jane Doe” because she was underage at the time.
After the lawsuit filing, the Bills released Araiza, and Bills general manager Brandon Beane discussed the team's decision with the media:
"I would say the last 48 hours has been very difficult for a lot of people," Beane said. "It's been tough and we sympathize with this whole situation, all of the parties involved. This young woman, what she went through. You really feel bad for that whole situation, and ultimately this is a legal situation and we don't know all of the facts. That's what makes it hard, but at this time we just think it's the best move for everyone to move on from Matt, and let him take care of this situation and focus on that. So, we're going to part ways there."
In Dec. 2023, Araiza was dropped from the lawsuit and Araiza "agreed to dismiss his defamation countersuit against her", according to The AP. Following the dropped lawsuit, Araiza and his lawyers maintained Araiza's innocence, while the woman's attorney reportedly said she "simply cannot afford to defend herself" after her first legal bills exceeded $20,000. The lawsuit against the four other former San Diego State players continued.
According to Yahoo Sports, the district attorney's office concluded that Araiza was not present at the time of the alleged rape.
A fuller picture of what police and prosecutors found, however, is now available via a 200-plus-page transcript obtained by Yahoo Sports of a 100-minute meeting in which a deputy district attorney offered a detailed explanation to the girl and her attorneys.
Perhaps most notably, the district attorney’s office concluded that Araiza couldn’t have led the girl into the alleged gang rape because he “left” the home at about 12:30 a.m., an hour prior to when evidence suggested the alleged gang rape would have occurred.
“He wasn’t even at the party anymore,” deputy district attorney Trisha Amador explained. Later, Amador stated of the timeline of events, “All I know is that at that point, suspect Araiza is gone from the party.”
Araiza, 23, won the Ray Guy Award and was a unanimous All-American in 2021, both honoring college football's top punter.
The Chiefs later confirmed the signing, noting that they signed Araiza and safety Tyree Gillespie.
