Chiefs' Matt Araiza says return to NFL 'surreal' after legal issues

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Matt Araiza has locked up a regular-season roster spot with the Kansas City Chiefs , as he's the only punter they have in training camp.

Araiza, however, said he won't be taking Saturday night's preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars for granted. There was a time not long ago when Araiza, who was known for his prodigious kicks when he came out of college at San Diego State two years ago, didn't think he would ever play in the NFL after his 2022 release from the Buffalo Bills .

"It's going to be pretty surreal,'' Araiza said. "Definitely going to take it all in. There were a lot of moments where I thought it was over, so I'm incredibly grateful to be here."

Araiza was accused of the rape of a 17-year-old girl at a party in San Diego in 2021. Prosecutors later decided not to press charges against Araiza after it was concluded that he wasn't at the party at the time of the alleged rape, and he was also dropped from a lawsuit filed by the woman.

The Bills released the sixth-round pick when he was publicly accused after he played in one of their 2022 preseason games. He was out of football until the Chiefs signed him after the end of last season.

"I love football,'' Araiza said. "I love being out here, so it was on my mind a lot. It was tough to watch Sundays for sure. Really tough."

Araiza has maintained his innocence, acknowledging that some fans may not be happy that he's going to be punting in the NFL.

"Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but I think if you do your own research, I think you can come to a pretty clear conclusion,'' Araiza said.

The Chiefs added another punter during offseason practice, but when it was over the team decided Araiza would be its choice to replace Tommy Townsend , their punter for the last four seasons who has signed with the Houston Texans .

"I feel like I've been punting really well,'' Araiza said. "I've continued to grow. That's probably my favorite part is, day one here versus now, I'm continuing to get better, so I'm looking forward to that. Just continued growth."