Kansas City Chiefs place tender on exclusive rights free agent that is a key piece of their special teams unit
The Kansas City Chiefs have placed a tender punter Matt Araiza worth $960,000, per a report from NFL insider Tom Pelissero. Araiza is an exclusive rights free agent because he has accrued less than three seasons in the NFL. He played in the regular season for the first time in his career in 2024 after […]
The Kansas City Chiefs have placed a tender punter Matt Araiza worth $960,000, per a report from NFL insider Tom Pelissero.
Araiza is an exclusive rights free agent because he has accrued less than three seasons in the NFL. He played in the regular season for the first time in his career in 2024 after appearing in two preseason games for the Buffalo Bills in 2022.
Araiza was released by the Bills when he and other San Diego State football players were sued by a woman for allegedly raping her. Araiza was dismissed and cleared from the case in December of 2023, and signed with Kansas City in February of 2024.
The Chiefs committed to him immediately, not bringing in any competition against him during training camp. Araiza earned the nickname "The Punt God" during his collegiate days after breaking the NCAA record for the highest yards per punt average during a season at 51.19.
He also won the Ray Guy Award, which goes to the top punter in the nation, and was unanimously named an All-American. As a pro, he experienced his ups and downs during what was essentially his rookie year in 2024. Araiza finished 10th in the league in yards per punt, 16th in punts downed inside the 20-yard line, and tied for the most touchbacks given up with nine.
Still just 24-years-old and having only one season under his belt, Araiza has plenty of room for growth. He has one of the strongest legs among all punters in the NFL, but needs to learn how to contain it when trying to pin opponents deep in their own territory. During Super Bowl LIX, Araiza set a record for the most yards per punt average with 51.8 on six attempts.
