Chiefs: Tommy Townsend’s Texans contract opens up Matt Araiza NFL debut opportunity

Matt Araiza may finally play in the big league. As former Kansas City Chiefs punter Tommy Townsend moves to the Houston Texans, Araiza becomes the only punter on the Chiefs roster with a contract, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

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Prior to getting drafted in 2022, Araiza spent three years with San Diego State football, wherein he was nicknamed “Punt God” due to his kicking ability. His long-range punts helped the Aztecs reach a 12-2 record back in 2021, where the punter himself tallied 4044 yards in 79 punts with a yard average of 51.2 per game. In the kicking department, Araiza made 18 field goals during that season. Due to his stellar showing, he won the 2021 Ray Guy Award.

Selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft, Araiza was in line to make his debut with the Buffalo Bills until a lawsuit sent everything crashing down. The punter and two other SDSU teammates were accused of rape by a woman who claimed that the incident happened during an off-campus party in 2021. Araiza was dropped by the Bills following the allegations, and he spent the past year addressing the ordeal.

Then, in December of 2023, the accuser decided to drop her allegations against Araiza, while the punter also forewent his counter-lawsuit of defamation against the woman. Araiza then signed with the Chiefs back in February, moving a step closer to reviving his football career.

Now, it seems like the Punt God will finally get to show his cannonball kicks in the professional ranks. If all goes as planned, Matt Araiza will be joining Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid for a three-peat campaign come September.