The Ray Guy Award winner nicknamed "Punt God" who rebuilt his NFL career in Kansas City after a rocky start in Buffalo.
Matt Araiza arrived in the league with a reputation few punters ever carry: an NCAA record-setting leg that earned him the nickname "Punt God" at San Diego State. His path to Kansas City wasn't direct, but he has settled in as the Chiefs' punter and has put together one of the more consistent legs in the league.
Path to the league
Araiza set the NCAA single-season punting average record as a junior at San Diego State in 2021, booming punts at a 51.19-yard clip and winning the Ray Guy Award as the nation's top punter along with unanimous All-American honors. The Buffalo Bills drafted him in the sixth round, 180th overall, in the 2022 NFL Draft, making him the third punter taken that year.
Career highlights
Araiza's rookie stint in Buffalo ended almost immediately when he was released days after a civil lawsuit alleging his involvement in an assault became public; the San Diego County District Attorney declined to file criminal charges, and both sides mutually dropped their lawsuits in December 2023 with no admission of fault. He signed with Kansas City in February 2024 and has punted in a Super Bowl for the Chiefs, setting a Super Bowl record with a 51.8-yard punting average in Super Bowl LIX.
2025 season recap
Araiza punted 56 times for the Chiefs in 2025, averaging 47.6 yards gross and 41.3 yards net, with 27 punts downed inside the opponents' 20-yard line. He was named a Pro Bowl alternate for his work on the year.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Matt Araiza
- Pro Football Reference: Matt Araiza
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Punting
17 games played▶Punting · career
| Year | Team | GP | PUNTS | YDS | AVG | LNG | IN20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | chiefs | 17 | 56 | 2,664 | 47.6 | 69 | 25 |
| 2024 | chiefs | 17 | 62 | 3,027 | 48.8 | 72 | 25 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Punter
- Group
- specialTeam
- College
- San Diego State
- Hometown
- San Diego, CA, USA
- Age
- 26
- Status
- active
