'Punt God' To Debut: Araiza 'Unique' & 'Surreal' Moves to Kansas City

Kansas City Chiefs punter Matt Araiza was, at one time, unsure if he'd ever get another chance. But now?

Araiza, once known colloquially as “Punt God,” has not seen in-game action in nearly two years. Accordingly, the 24-year-old is both excited and anxious for the Chiefs Saturday evening matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars at Everbank Stadium.

“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.”

Despite being taken by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth-round (No. 180 overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft, Araiza’s NFL career looked to be over after just one preseason. The Bills promptly cut Araiza just days after he was named in a civil lawsuit accusing him and two former SDSU teammates of rape.

Following his release, Araiza spent the next two years away from the NFL.

While Araiza was eventually cleared of any potential criminal liability, he remained away from the NFL for the next two years. In Dec. 2023, the lawsuit against him was dropped.

Facing a void at the position due to former punter Tommy Townsend’s departure, the Chiefs signed the former college star in February.

Araiza was one of the most highly-touted collegiate players at the position in quite some time. Known for his power, he delivered 18 punts of 60-plus yards, including two at 80 or more yards in 2021. Araiza posted a net average of nearly 50 yards on open-field punts. He also was a kickoff specialist, sailing 62 of 73 kickoffs. His 2021 campaign was made complete by being awarded the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter.

And as he's left-footed? His fans would say that makes him "unique'' ... and he believes the rotation on his kicks end up creating mistakes by the return team.

“I love football,“ Araiza said. “I love being out here,I feel like I’ve been punting really well and I’ve continued to grow. That’s probably my favorite part — Day 1 here versus now. I’m continuing to get better, so I’m looking forward to that. Just continued growth.”