Matt Araiza Accuser Reportedly Drops Civil Suit Against Former NFL Punter, Does This Mean Return To Football?

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The saga surrounding former NFL and San Diego State punter Matt Araiza appears to be over. The woman who accused him of sexual assault during a party in 2021 reportedly dropped her civil case against him.

According to Yahoo Sports, the accuser dropped the case with no monetary payout from Araiza. Additionally, Araiza reportedly won't pursue defamation against the woman. However, he can still sue the woman's attorney.

That Ariaza isn't planning to pursue charges against the woman makes sense. For one, he probably wants that part of the situation to be over with. The allegations stem from a party that happened over two years ago.

From a legal and financial perspective, suing the woman doesn't make much sense since she probably doesn't have a lot of money.

However, retaining the right to sue her attorney makes much more sense. Araiza spoke to OutKick's Tomi Lahren in May and intimated that he planned to pursue that option.

He later told Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel that was his ultimate goal.

“I’ve already hired an attorney for it, and things have already been drafted,” Araiza said in June. “I will never waive my right to sue him. That’s coming.”

But that might not be quite so easy according to Lexie Rigden, an attorney and legal analyst who frequently appears on Fox News.

“It is very unlikely Matt Araiza has a viable claim against his accuser's attorney," Rigden told OutKick. "Statements made by attorneys during litigation are privileged against claims of defamation even if they are false. The litigation privilege exists so that attorneys do not have to fear being sued for defamation for advocating for their clients.

"However, Araiza may still be able to file a complaint against the attorney for professional discipline if he believes that the attorney acted unethically."

Buffalo Bills cut Matt Araiza in 2022 following sexual assault allegations

Araiza was with the Buffalo Bills when the allegations surfaced. He earned the nickname "Punt God" for his performance during the 2022 preseason.

Matt Araiza of the Buffalo Bills punts during Bills training camp at Saint John Fisher University on July 24, 2022 in Pittsford, New York.

Matt Araiza of the Buffalo Bills punts during Bills training camp at Saint John Fisher University on July 24, 2022 in Pittsford, New York. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)

However, the team cut him when the allegations became public.

“It was a shock to me, growing up my whole life wanting to be a pro athlete, the thought is if I’m good enough I’ll be able to have that career and play at that level, but that wasn’t the case,” Araiza told Lahren. “I was cut because of these allegations.”

Since then, Araiza received only one tryout from an NFL team. That came prior to this season with the New York Jets. But, the team did not sign him.

Now that the legal battle appears to be over, will an NFL team sign him?

Only time will tell, but Araiza clearly deserves another opportunity to pursue his dream of playing professional football.

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to Outkick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named “Brady” because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.