Kansas City ink Araiza after punter dropped from lawsuit

Kansas City Chiefs inked punter Matt Araiza, who was dismissed in December from a lawsuit alleging the rape of a 17-year-old girl 3 years ago.

Why do we care that the #Chiefs have signed punter Matt Araiza? Well, Araiza was drafted by the #Bills in 2022 and was soon released after allegations that he participated in the gang rape of a minor.

The investigation ultimately suggested no charges be filed against Araiza, and… pic.twitter.com/1giNxf8UFj

— The Dawgs – A Cleveland Browns Podcast (@thedawgspodcast) February 23, 2024

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“We are thankful to Brett Veach, manager Reid, and Kansas City for giving Araiza this chance,” agent Joe Linta shared on social media.

Tommy Townsend, the organization’s punter in each of the last 4 campaigns, is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in March. Tommy was 1^st-team All-Pro and picked for the Pro Bowl 2 seasons ago.

The girl, identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, dropped the punter from the lawsuit filed 2 years ago, and Matt agreed to dismiss a defamation suit vs. the girl in the past summer.

“I’m delighted to ink a deal with Kansas City,” Araiza shared. “I’m happy to have the opportunity to continue my National Football League career. I want to thank my family and friends who supported me during the rough period I was away from the game. I can’t wait to join my teammates in the Chiefs!”