It’s the time of the year when NFL clubs have tough decisions to make regarding several hotly-contested positions on their teams.
While there are more glamorous jobs that must be decided than those on special teams, many times, the play of these critical units determines the success or failure of the entire franchise.
For Kansas City, the Chiefs entertained a competition for their punting duties after veteran Tommy Townsend signed with the Houston Texans.
It appears the Chiefs have decided on Matt Araiza as their new punter.
It looks like officially that Matt Araiza is going to be our new punter. He Is wearing 49 in this video, which is giving me Daniel Sorenson flashbacks! 😂 I dunno how I feel about a punter wearing 49?pic.twitter.com/kusiQnAqN8 https://t.co/SWojQMPkup
— Brad Henson Productions (@BradHensonPro) June 13, 2024
This is more newsworthy than the typical decision on who will drop back and punt when the offense sputters on third down.
The strong-footed Araiza was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft by Buffalo, a rarity for a punter, but was cut in late August of that year despite launching an 82-yard punt for the Bills in the preseason.
And the reason had nothing to do with football.
Araiza seemed to lose his chance at an NFL career after allegations of assaulting a minor surfaced.
These were very serious charges that Araiza vehemently denied from the day they were revealed.
But the alleged victim, identified only as Jane Doe, dropped Araiza from her lawsuit and he agreed to dismiss the defamation suit he brought against her to clear his name.
He enjoyed a stellar career at Arizona State but saw his promising NFL career apparently crushed when he was named in the legal action.
Now Araiza gets a remarkable second chance with the defending Super Bowl champions.
