Buffalo Bills knew about disturbing rape allegations against Matt Araiza, but still didn't cut him from roster

The Buffalo Bills cut last season's starting punter Matt Haack and kept standout college punter Matt Araiza. Araiza was one of three people accused of raping a 17-year-old girl while a student at San Diego State University last year. For Buffalo, the allegation came as no surprise since they knew about it for at least a month. What’s more, the team let Araiza play in preseason games and then released Haack. This possibly indicates that they have no plans to cut Araiza.

The Bills said in a statement that they were recently made aware of a civil complaint involving him in October last year while adding:

“Due to the serious nature of the complaint, we conducted a thorough examination of this matter. As this is an ongoing civil case, we will have no other comment at this point."

The lawsuit involves allegations against the Bills punter and two of his former college teammates. The other people named in the complaint are Zavier Leonard and Nowlin Ewaliko. All three are accused of rape, gender violence and false imprisonment.

The lawsuit accuses Matt Araiza of having sex with a girl who was a high school senior at the time. She was under the age of consent in California. The party took place outside the San Diego State University campus at his place of residence in October 2021.

The legal action states that Araiza then took her inside a room where at least three other men were present, including Leonard and Ewaliko. The suit asserts that she was continually raped in the room for at least an hour and a half before the party finished. It also notes that she was in and out of consciousness but recalls moments as the men took turns assaulting her.

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Will Bills punter Matt Araiza be suspended by the NFL?

NFL Combine

The major question is whether Araiza will face any discipline from the league over the rape allegations. The NFL said in a statement that they knew of the incident but declined to speak on the matter. According to ESPN, the Bills punter wouldn’t face any suspension, explaining:

“Because the alleged rape happened before Araiza was drafted, he will not be subject to the league's personal conduct policy.”

The league's refusal to comment on the allegations is interesting. They could be trying to find a way in which they can punish the punter, checking every avenue. We’ll see how this turns out as this case is far from over.

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If you use any of the above quotes, please credit ESPN and H/T Sportskeeda.

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