Chiefs punter battle between Matt Araiza, Ryan Rehkow described as 'real close' as OTAs continue
The Kansas City Chiefs are tasked with replacing a starting specialist this offseason after moving on from punter Tommy Townsend, who spent the past four years holding down the position. As things stand, the Chiefs have two players competing for the role. They signed former Bills sixth-round pick Matt Araiza on a prove-it deal this offseason […]
The Kansas City Chiefs are tasked with replacing a starting specialist this offseason after moving on from punter Tommy Townsend, who spent the past four years holding down the position.
As things stand, the Chiefs have two players competing for the role. They signed former Bills sixth-round pick Matt Araiza on a prove-it deal this offseason and added BYU's Ryan Rehkow as a priority free agent after the 2024 NFL draft.
Chiefs special teams coordinator provided an update on the position battle between the two players last Thursday, following the second week of OTAs.
“I’m going to tell you both (Matt Araiza and Ryan Rehkow) these guys are really good, both," Toub said. "Matt is a lefty and Ryan is a righty, and they’re both excellent and they’re both NFL punters. I’m going to tell you it’s a real close battle right now, we kick them as much as we can without wearing out their legs."
With each player having an impressive resume, how will this "real close battle" be decided? Of course, they're going to need to see them perform during training camp and the preseason. They're under the microscope right now, though. It could ultimately come down to the little things. Oh, and Harrison Butker is going to have a say in the decision, too.
"We’re practicing everything, the holds, the throws, who can throw better," Toub explained. We’re trying to look at everything to evaluate it. The holds are important. (Harrison) Butker is going to be involved. I’m going to talk to him (to see) who he likes when it comes time. We don’t know when we’re going to make that decision whether it’s before or after letting them play a game. I’m not sure yet. We have to tell (Head) Coach (Andy) Reid, but it's a battle. Both of them give you a lot, both of them have things that they do well.”
Araiza or Rehkow, who has the advantage?
While this battle likely won't be determined until much later in the summer, which player currently has the advantage based on the college production? Let's take a dive into it.
Distance punting
Araiza is the clear winner here. He's known for having a cannon for a leg and was nicknamed the "Punt God" for his record-setting tenure at San Diego State. Coming out of college, Araiza ranked first in FBS history in punt average (51.4 avg.), career 60-yard punts (18), and career 50-yard punts (39). His average punt went 51.1 yards, while Rehkow's average punt went 47.4 yards. All that said, Rehkow certainly has more than enough leg.
Finesse Punting
Araiza had 43 career punts landing inside the 20-yard line, while Rehkow had 74. When you consider that Rehkow had 176 punts (42.05%) in college and Araiza had 84 (51.2%), Araiza also takes this one. Again, that's not to say Rehkow isn't good at this.
Holding
This one should go to Rehkow. Araiza was also the placekicker for SDSU, so he never had to hold. He was, however, reportedly practicing holds with the Bills before his release. Rehkow, however, held for all four of his seasons at BYU for Jake Oldroyd, who is one of the best kickers in Cougars history.
Fake punts
This one should also go to Rehkow. While Araiza is a phenomenal athlete, he never ran a successful fake in college. Rehkow ran two, including a 49-yard rugby-style scamper.
He also can throw quite well. He completed this 36-yard pass in 2023.
Keep in mind that Tommy Townsend threw a fake punt in each of his four seasons in Kansas City.
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