Ex-Bills punter Matt Araiza attempting NFL comeback

Matt Araiza. Shawn Dowd / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ex-Bills punter Matt Araiza reaches out to teams in hopes of NFL comeback

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 5/11/23

Former Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza is hopeful he can revive his NFL career after prosecutors exonerated him of an alleged gang rape at a party in October 2021.

According to USA Today, Araiza’s agent Joe Linta sent approximately 20 NFL teams an audio file of a meeting in December between Araiza’s reported victim and San Diego deputy district attorney Trisha Amador in which she explains why no charges were filed against Araiza.

"Because of what's in the video, I can't prove a forceable sexual assault,” Amador told Araiza’s reported victim in the audio file.

Prosecutors said Matt Araiza was not present when an alleged gang rape of a minor occurred at an Oct 2021 party, according to witness testimony that prompted the San Diego DA to not press criminal charges against the former Bills punter, via @agetzenberg.https://t.co/E3cLK4Vtql
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 9, 2023

According to a transcript of the audio file, the district attorney’s office concluded that Araiza was not present at the time of the alleged rape based on video evidence from that night, which included nine videos of the woman having sexual encounters with men who were not Araiza.

“I know the teams know the true facts,” Araiza told USA Today. “They’ve heard the audio. They know this isn’t true. It’s that we need the public to understand as well. Because I think teams have a fear that if they sign me, there will be a little bit of backlash because the public has been told things that aren’t true.”

It’s not known which 20 teams received the audio from Araiza’s agent. Araiza signed a four-year, $3.8 million contract with the team after being taken in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Buffalo cut the San Diego State alum just two days after the allegations surfaced in August 2022.

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