SAN DIEGO — Former San Diego State punter Matt Araiza was scheduled to workout Wednesday with the New York Jets, according to an ESPN report.
It's Araiza's first opportunity to find a job in the NFL since being cut by the Buffalo Bills last year amid allegations that he and two former SDSU teammates raped a 17-year-old girl at an off-campus party.
Buffalo selected Ariaza in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft after he set NCAA punting records and earned the Ray Guy Award as the nation's top punter.
Araiza's first punt went 82 yards in a mid-August exhibition game against the Indianapolis Colts. A week later, Araiza was named Buffalo's starting punter after the team cut veteran Matt Haack.
But the Bills released Araiza on August 27, two days after a lawsuit was filed accusing Araiza and former teammates Nowlin "Pa'a" Ewaliko and Zavier Leonard of rape.
The civil case remains pending, though the San Diego County District Attorney's office announced in December that no criminal charges would be filed in the case. It was subsequently revealed that Araiza did not appear in any of the videos taken the night of the allegations and one witness said he had left the party earlier in the evening.
Araiza has given several interviews to local and national media the past month in an effort to clear his name and get another chance at an NFL career.
"I don't think a team has to worry about getting any backlash anymore over signing me," Araiza told the Union-Tribune last week.
He was optimistic about another NFL opportunity.
"I'm confident that that will happen," Araiza said. "I'm just staying ready for the shot and staying ready for the call."
The Jets signed veteran punter Thomas Morstead last month to a one-year contract, reportedly with a $1.1 million guarantee. Braden Mann, the team's punter the past three seasons, was cut a week later.
