Matt Araiza is the only kicker the Buffalo Bills have on their roster.
Photo: Joshua Bessex/Getty Images
Buffalo Bills rookie kicker Matt Araiza was accused this Friday of raping a minor along with two other men during a party in 2021. According to the lawsuit filed in San Diego County Superior Court, California, the 22-year-old kicker repeatedly raped a 17-year-old girl.
The other two defendants are Zavier Leonard, a roster player for the San Diego State Aztecs at San Diego State University, and Nowlin Ewaliko.
Araiza came to the NFL selected by the Bills in the sixth round of this year’s Draft. He is the only kicker on Buffalo’s roster after the team released Matt Haack earlier this week.
The rookie kicker excelled with the Aztecs in the junior division in 2021. Won the Ray Guy Award as the best kicker in the country in college football before appearing in the 2022 Draft.
One of the attorneys representing the kicker told the Los Angeles Times that he had not yet reviewed the lawsuit against his client, but he previously stated that the accusations are false.
The Buffalo Bills issued a statement in which they assured that they will thoroughly examine the case before ruling on the situation.
“We just found out about a lawsuit involving Matt. Due to the seriousness of the complaint we will conduct a thorough examination. As this is an ongoing civil case, we will have no further comment at this time,” was the team’s message.
The Bills will close their preseason this Friday in Carolina, where they will face the Panthers. Araiza traveled with the team and is expected to be at the game.
Just a few weeks ago, the NFL dealt with the case of Deshaun Watson, quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, who was sued by 24 women for sexual misconduct.
After reaching confidential settlements with 20 of 24 of his plaintiffs, Watson was submitted to an NFL-appointed Disciplinary Committee. that decided to suspend it for the first six games of the 2022 season, a ruling that was appealed by the league.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell chose former Attorney General Peter C. Harvey as an independent arbitrator in the case, who decided suspend Deshaun Watson for 11 games of the 2022 season and a $5 million fine.
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New scandal in the NFL: Buffalo Bills player accused of participating in the rape of a young woman