Matt Araiza was picked in the 6th round by the Buffalo Bills and caused a stir in the preseason with an 82-yard punt. Now he’s been charged with a gang rape that allegedly occurred in his college days.

Buffalo/Munich – Punter Matt Araiza already made a splash in the preseason. After being selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 2022 NFL Draft, he managed to punt an incredible 82 yards in the first preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts. But the 22-year-old’s NFL career could be over before it even really got started.

En su paso por San Diego State, Matt Araiza realizaba despejes que superaban las 70 yardas; hoy, el Punter mexicoamericano ya sorprendió a propios y extraños en el Bills Vs. Colts, ¡con una patada de 82 yardas! Buffalo BillsMafia NFL NFLTwitter MeanMachine https://t. co/Q3ohAYF9NT

– Mean Machine (@MeanMachinePod) August 13, 2022

According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, Araiza was civilly charged with gang rape along with two other college students from San Diego State University. The incident allegedly occurred at an off-campus party last year. The alleged victim was 17 years old.

Araiza’s lawyer said the allegation was false and accused the plaintiff of merely being after the money. “It’s a shakedown because he’s with the Buffalo Bills now,” Kerry Armstrong told the Times. “There is no doubt in my mind that Matt Araiza did not rape this girl.”

There is said to be an ongoing criminal investigation into the incident. However, no arrests have been made and San Diego police have not publicly identified any suspects. To make matters worse, the university has failed to inform the campus community about the alleged incident. The university reportedly waited more than seven months to launch an investigation.

Statements from the Buffalo Bills and the NFL

The Buffalo Bills have already responded to the allegation. “We were recently made aware of a civil lawsuit involving Matt from October 2021,” the Bills said in a statement to The Times on Thursday. “Due to the seriousness of the allegation, we have thoroughly reviewed this matter. As this is an ongoing civil matter, we will have no further comment at this time.”

The only statement from the NFL is, “We are aware of the matter but will decline further comment at this time.”

Basically, the NFL’s hands are tied. The NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy does not apply to incidents that occurred before a player joined the NFL. They could only sanction disciplinary misconduct. Regardless, the Bills would have the option to cut Araiza without justification.