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It’s been more than a year since Matt Araiza was cut by the Bills after ending up at the center of some troubling allegations. However, the man who earned the nickname “Punt God” may finally be able to make his NFL debut now that he’s seemingly been vindicated.
Matt Araiza initially made a name for himself with the impressive leg he showed off during his time at San Diego State University, and in 2022, he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.
While it appeared he’d earned the starting job at training camp, he was released by the team shortly before what would have been his rookie season commenced after he was implicated in a civil lawsuit filed against him and two of his former teammates at SDSU that asserted they’d participated in the sexual assault of an underaged girl.
It was easy to understand why Buffalo decided to err on the side of caution. With that said, Araiza firmly proclaimed his innocence, and local prosecutors declined to file criminal charges after determining there was no evidence that could lead to a possible conviction (his attorney described the civil suit as a “money grab,” and there was evidence that showed he’d left the party where the assault allegedly occurred before it was perpetrated).
Over the summer, Araiza filed a lawsuit of his own that accused the woman in question of defamation. Now, it appears those two parties have agreed to move on from the matter, as Yahoo Sports reports she no longer intends to pursue the case and Araiza has subsequently agreed to drop his (although he still reserves the right to sue the attorney who represented her).
The punter has made it clear he wants to continue to pursue a career in the NFL, and while only time will tell if a team will be willing to sign the 23-year-old man known as “Punt God,” you have to imagine the lawsuit being abandoned makes that possibility much more likely.