Getty Former Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza.
Former Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza is opening up about the allegations that derailed his career last year and the Bills are facing fresh criticism for their decision to cut ties with him, but one insider is shedding new light on the team’s controversial decision.
Araiza was named in a lawsuit by a woman who claimed that he assaulted her at an off-campus home near San Diego State University when the punter was a senior in 2021. The suit came to light last summer, leading the Bills to release Araiza before the final preseason game.
But as Araiza speaks out for the first time at length, insider Tim Graham revealed the real reason the Bills chose to abruptly release Araiza after the allegations first came to light.
Buffalo Bills ‘Infuriated’ With Lawyer’s Statement
In the months since the Bills decided to release Araiza, police decided not to press charges and a new report cast doubt on the allegations. The report from Yahoo Sports published on May 8 showed that police presented evidence in an interview with the accuser that Araiza was no longer at the party when the woman claimed he led her to a room where she was assaulted by more football players.
Speaking to HBO’s Andrea Kramer in an interview that aired on June 20, Araiza called the allegations a “lie.”
“I just didn’t see how people could do this. To make a lie, like that, about someone’s life, knowing the implications of it. I was in shock. And seeing everyone in the world believe it and knowing that they just completely got misled,” Araiza said.
The former college standout added that he felt helpless against the allegations.
“No chance to defend myself. No waiting for the police to back any of these statements,” he said “Not waiting for the trial for anything to be proven in court. There was a feeling that society was sure about this. They were 100-percent sure.”
In a roundtable discussion that was part of Tuesday’s broadcast, host Bryant Gumbel criticized the Bills for cutting Araiza so quickly. Graham, a longtime Bills reporter, noted that the criticism failed to address the real reason the team decided to part ways — what he called an inaccurate report from Araiza’s lawyer about the team’s knowledge of the allegations.
At the time, Araiza’s lawyer misrepresented the information that the Bills had about the case, Graham said. That played a major factor in the team’s decision to release him.
“The sentiment doesn’t take into account that in the 48 hours between lawsuit and release, Araiza’s attorney lied publicly about what the Bills knew. This infuriated the Bills,” Graham tweeted.
The “lie,” according to Graham, came when Araiza’s lawyer, Kerry Armstrong, said publicly that NFL teams were aware of the allegations before the NFL Draft.
“That, of course, besmirched only the Bills, who drafted him and gave him the job,” Graham tweeted.
Another Chance for Matt Araiza
While the Bills moved on and signed veteran punter Sam Martin, Araiza could have another chance at making the NFL as he landed a workout with the New York Jets in May.
As ESPN reported, the Jets did not end up signing Araiza, as they have made a significant commitment to veteran punter Thomas Morstead, but the tryout itself was seen as an important step in his attempt to make an NFL roster.
Truly sad. I never believed it, bc I have seen too many times an athlete or celebrity getting railroaded by society when they were innocent. I always wait to make a judgement on situations like this, so no, not 100% of us. Hope that MA gets signed ASAP
I hope Araiza becomes a top punter in the NFL and haunts the BuffaBLOW Bills for the next 10 to 15 years!
The Bills cut Araiza for one reason and ONE REASON ONLY, Brandon Bean has no GONADS. The Beaner panicked, crapped his pants, and cut Araiza because he was afraid the public would criticize him and the Bills for having an outlaw on their team. He was afraid to wait to find out if he was innocent or not. The Beaner has chicken sheit running through his veins and cut a real good player because of it.