Buffalo Bills rookie punter Matt Araiza could see his NFL career end before it even begins. Araiza's name was included in a lawsuit on Thursday as one of the members of a group who allegedly gang-raped a girl at San Diego State in 2021. By no surprise, he won't play in the Bills' preseason finale on Friday night, per Adam Schefter:
Bills’ rookie Matt Araiza, who has been accused along with two others of gang raping a 17-year-old girl last year in a civil lawsuit filed on Thursday, will not punt for Buffalo in tonight’s preseason game at Carolina, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 26, 2022
This is obviously a very serious matter and the organization will likely steer clear of letting him play until it's figured out. Bills kicker Tyler Bass and long snapper Reid Ferguson were the only ones seen on the field prior to kick-off, with no sight of Araiza. However, he reportedly did travel to Charlotte for the contest.
It does leave the Bills in a tough position because Araiza is the lone punter on the roster. They released Matt Haack, their only other punter, earlier in the week. Backup QB Matt Barkley and Bass were practicing punting on Friday. One of them will likely step in and relieve Araiza's duties for the time being.
The former Aztecs star allegedly had sex with a 17-year-old who was at the time a high school senior. According to the lawsuit, Araiza took her into his room in a residence off campus where three other men from the football team were waiting.
Araiza's attorney reportedly told ESPN that he didn't inform the Bills about the allegations until June, months after he was drafted in the sixth round back in April. The Los Angeles Times reported in June that rape allegations of five Aztec football players hadn't yet been investigated by SDSU.
The Bills released this statement on Thursday night:
“We were recently made aware of a civil complaint involving Matt from October 2021. Due to the serious nature of the complaint, we conducted a thorough examination of this matter. As this is an ongoing civil case, we will have no other comment at this point.”
Good chance Buffalo could be looking for a new punter.
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