Veteran punter Sam Martin was a surprise release of the Denver Broncos earlier this week due to the finances. Rookie punter Matt Araiza found himself released by the Buffalo Bills for completely different and more troubling reasons.
The two have now come full circle with Buffalo reportedly signing Martin to replace Araiza as its punter with the Super Bowl contenders two weeks away from opening its season against the defending champion Los Angeles Rams.
A sixth-round pick of the Bills back April, Matt Araiza entered the NFL as one of the greatest punters in college football history. He was out of a job before playing one regular-season game after allegations that he took part in a gang rape of a teenage girl while the punter was at San Diego State. Buffalo took a while to release Araiza, leading to questions about its priorities in the process.
Since he was let go, Araiza’s parents have taken to the media to deny the allegations while absolutely blasting those who were loudest in convicting their son in court of public opinion.
“He has been tried and convicted in the media based on information released solely from the alleged victim and her attorney, much of it through social media. People have taken his information as factual, when it is not. He has been extorted, discriminated against, harassed and the subject of multiple and continuous threats of violence and death. He has been released from his job and our entire family continues to receive horrific threats of violence and death. We have all been canceled. Every member of our family.”
Matt Araiza’s parents after former Bills punter was released
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Sam Martin is a solid replacement for Matt Araiza
Looking at it from an on-field perspective, Buffalo will still boast one of the best punters in the game this coming season. Martin, 32, ranked among the five-best punters in the NFL in terms of average net yards a season ago. He also set a Broncos record for net punting yards in a season.
While punters don’t get as much love as other positions, they are an important part of a teams’ success. That’s especially true with Buffalo boasting an elite-level offense and one of the best defenses in the NFL.
The Bills had also shown interest in long-time Tennessee Titans punter Brett Kern after the three-time Pro Bowler was released by Tennessee following 13 successful season. A native of Western New York, Kern showed no interest in signing with his home town team, leading to Buffalo signing Sam Martin as Araiza’s replacement.