Buffalo Rumblings
Araiza unique skill has head coach Sean McDermott’s attention this week
The Buffalo Bills are hard at work preparing for this weekend’s AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. It’s a game that’s garnered plenty of attention first and foremost because of quarterbacks Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes.
While the recent history between the Bills and Chiefs has made for one of the NFL’s greatest rivalries, head coaches Sean McDermott and Andy Reid go much further back. As with many current coaches, McDermott cut his teeth in the NFL working under the guidance of Reid — and it did him wonders.
There are so many story lines to consider ahead of Sunday evening, but one that may not be top of mind with casual fans is the shared connection to punter Matt Araiza. Now with Kansas City, Araiza originally entered the NFL with Buffalo as a sixth-round choice during the 2022 NFL Draft. That same summer, he won the training camp battle with Matt Haack, yet Araiza would quickly find himself jobless due to some very disturbing criminal allegations.
Fast forward to 2025, and Araiza has made his mark in the NFL with the Chiefs, playing what amounts to his rookie season in 2024. Per Pro Football Reference, Araiza punted 62 times for a total of 3,027 yards (48.8 avg) (41.5 net), with 25 punts (40.3% of total punts) downed inside the 20-yard line, nine touchbacks, and a long boot of 72 yards, and facing 271 return yards among all punts.
Clearly, Arazia’s done well for himself professionally, just as the numerous draft profiles claimed would be likely. You can be certain that McDermott is well-versed in Araiza’s game, having already seen him up close in Week 11. Though this will be the second time Buffalo faces Araiza, they’re preparing to face him this week in a more notable way.
Bills reporter Sal Capaccio shared that during practice this week, Buffalo brought in a couple left-footed punters to allow their returners the opportunity to work on catching a goofy-footed ball. That’s because Araiza kicks with his left, which is far less common in the NFL.
Interestingly, Capaccio noted that the workouts also served as means for the Bills “to get a look at those punters” in what we can only assume is in comparison to Sam Martin.
The story of Matt Araiza’s path to the NFL is not for the weary, and unfortunately continues to weigh down most Bills-related discussions about him. It also put head coach Sean McDermott in some very uncomfortable water.
Araiza’s precipitous fall from “Punt God” status following vicious allegations of gang rape and sexual violence that led to a criminal investigation in 2021 divided Bills Mafia. The sheer weight and concern regarding the situation and allegations brought a swift end to his tenure at One Bills Drive.
The Bills were apparently never aware of the allegations and investigation dating back to 2021. General manager Brandon Beane later mentioned that [without...
