The Kansas City Chiefs enter 2024 with plenty of fresh faces across multiple positions. One of those is punter Matt Araiza, who signed with the Chiefs over the offseason.
Araiza replaces Tommy Townsend, who signed with the Houston Texans in free agency and appears to be a mega improvement. Nicknamed “The Punt God” Araiza has received a lot of hype after sending multiple kicks of ridiculous distances in practice while as a member of the Buffalo Bills in 2022. During his NFL debut, Araiza displayed his talent to the world by blasting his first NFL punt 82 yards.
After Monday’s practice, the product from San Diego State spoke with the media for the first as a member of the Chiefs and took some time to explain how he’s able to get the ball to travel these insane distances.
Apparently, it has a lot to do with being left-handed or, in Araiza’s case, left-footed.
“Being a lefty, the ball rotates a different way,” Araiza explained. “So, when the ball starts moving, you know it’ll tail at the last second. Sometimes, they’re not even close to five yards away.”
Araiza has reportedly received feedback from returners who have a problem fielding kicks from lefty punters and the former San Diego State Aztec views that as an advantage that can help the Chiefs towards their Super Bowl LIX efforts.
The media also asked Araiza about his aforementioned nickname, which turns out he isn’t completely fond of.
“It’s not my favorite thing,” Araiza said of being called ‘Punt God’. “I feel like I’ve been playing really well. I’ve continued to grow. That’s probably my favorite part: day one here versus now and continuing to get better. So I’m looking forward to that, just continued growth.”
Araiza began his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills as a sixth-round draft pick in 2022. The San Diego State standout won the starting punting job his rookie year, but his career quickly derailed as the preseason ended after a lawsuit accusing him of rape became public. Once they were aware of the situation, Buffalo cut ties with Araiza before the ‘22 season began.
Earlier this year, Araiza was proven innocent and was dropped from the lawsuit. He signed with Kansas City on February 22.
