Matt Johnson
The New York Jets are bringing in free-agent punter Matt Araiza for a workout, with the workout coming days after he wasn’t criminally charged for an alleged sexual assault case from 2021.
Araiza, a unanimous All-American and the Ray Guy Award winner in 2021, was selected by the Buffalo Bills with the 180th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Projected to be the Bills’ starting punter, Araiza was released after he was accused in a lawsuit of being involved in an alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl.
- Matt Araiza stats (2021): 51.2 punting yards average, 4,044 punt yards
The 23-year-old punter denied the allegations, but he was waived by Buffalo in August. He remained unsigned, even after the San Diego district attorney ruled not to charge him criminally.
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San Diego State issued a report on May 19 announcing ‘no findings’ from its investigation into the allegations of the gang rape. While there is still an ongoing civil case, a witness told police that Araiza wasn’t present at the time of the alleged incident.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Araiza will be at the Jets’ practice facility on Wednesday for a free-agent workout. It’s his first known workout with an NFL team this year.
During the 2021 season, Araiza led the country in yards per punt average (51.2). Of his 99 punts during his junior season, 63% landed inside the 20-yard line and 27% hit inside the 10-yard line.
If Araiza impresses during his workout, he would compete with veteran Thomas Morstead to become the Jets’ starting punter in 2023. Morstead, age 37, averaged 46.4 yards per punt last season with 28-of-61 punts landing inside the 20.
