In a statement released on Wednesday, the agent of former Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza discussed his client’s potential opportunity to play in the NFL again. The declaration was made the day after the 23-year-old Araiza’s civil lawsuit against the woman who had accused him of rape at a party in 2021 was withdrawn.
Two days after the initial accusations in August 2022, Araiza was released by the Bills. The San Diego State University product was chosen by Buffalo in the sixth round of the previous draft and agreed to a four-year, $3.8 million contract.
After the school conducted an investigation and found Araiza innocent of any wrongdoing, he was given the opportunity to work out with the New York Jets in May. Nevertheless, Araiza faced a difficult task in trying to secure a spot on the roster because the Jets had already signed seasoned Pro Bowler Thomas Morstead in April.
An audio file of a meeting in December 2022 between Araiza’s alleged victim and San Diego deputy district attorney Trisha Amador—who clarifies why no charges were brought against Araiza—was sent to about 20 NFL teams by Araiza’s agent, Joseph Linta, in April.
Amador said to Araiza’s purported victim in the audio file, “I can’t prove a forceful sexual assault because of what’s in the video.”
A transcript of the file states that the district attorney’s office used video evidence from that night—nine of which showed the woman having sex with men other than Araiza—to determine that Araiza was not present at the time of the alleged rape. San Diego State also came to the conclusion during their investigation that none of the former students listed in the lawsuit were the focus of an ongoing investigation, “although it reserved the right to’reinstate’ an investigation if there are new developments.”
Six months after Araiza filed a defamation lawsuit against her, the lawsuit was eventually dropped. He apparently still has the right to sue her lawyer, Dan Gilleon.
Araiza didn’t give any money to the victim that was reported, and he remained silent about his guilt the entire time.
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