Matt Araiza gets candid about potential NFL return after dismissal of lawsuit against him
Matt Araiza was drafted by the Buffalo Bills last year, but his dream to play in the NFL was cut short after a lawsuit was filed against him. As per the lawsuit, he was accused of gang rape while he was still a student at San Diego State University.
According to sources, the 17-year-old who accused Araiza claimed she had sex with the former Bills punter outside the house but that he then led her inside where she was viciously raped by at least three other males.
Matt Araiza was released by the Buffalo Bills shortly after the lawsuit was filed, and he was never able to play a single snap in the NFL. However, as per the latest documents, Araiza was not even there at the time of the alleged incident.
As a consequence, Araiza will face no charges and will be free to return to the NFL. Araiza was dubbed the "Punt God," and he is now seeking to return to the league. In an interview with the New York Post, Araiza said:
“I was happy that there was so much evidence and that this wasn’t a ‘he-said, she-said’ thing. A lot of cases like this are and it’s up to a jury kind of guessing. I mean, if there’s no evidence either way, it’s somewhat a guess. I’m grateful that’s not the case in this one.”
Talking about the return to the NFL, he said:
"That’s the goal, I think people underestimate how tough it is to make it in the NFL when you’re a free agent and you’ve been out of the game for a year. That just gives teams questions, so I’m just looking for the opportunity to answer those questions.
“I just think it’s a very rare situation, especially being a punter. If I were a quarterback — no question — I’d be on a team right now. No question whatsoever, it’s just the position I play.”
Matt Araiza was cut by the Buffalo Bills after he was accused of participating in the gang rape of a minor in 2021. Evidence has come out showing that he wasn’t present at the time of the alleged rape. If vindicated, NFL teams NEED to give him an opportunity to play. PERIOD. twitter.com/AdamSchefter/s…
Did the Bills make the right decision by cutting Matt Araiza last year?
Many people have criticized the Buffalo Bills after Matt Araiza was found not guilty, but the team's decision to release the punter last year was the right one.
The franchise wanted the legal proceedings to proceed and did not want to take the side of someone who could have been found guilty of something heinous. The Bills may re-sign Araiza now that he is cleared to play again.
"The Punt God" has already spoken with a number of NFL teams about his return, and it will be intriguing to see where he ends up playing.