Chiefs in 'Real Close' Punter Battle During OTAs

When the Kansas City Chiefs signed Matt Araiza to a free agent contract early in the offseason, the natural expectation was for the Tommy Townsend era to end. While that's obviously turned out to be realized, Araiza isn't the unquestioned heir apparent like some originally anticipated.

Araiza is facing some competition during OTAs, and it's coming from the undrafted free agent ranks. Longtime BYU man Ryan Rehkow is emerging as a force to be reckoned with, making for one of the more intriguing position battles on the roster.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Dave Toub revealed that both players are making a case for the job.

"Well I'm going to tell you, both of these guys are really good," Toub said. "Both. Matt is a lefty and Ryan is a righty, and they're both excellent. They're both NFL punters. I'll tell you it's a real close battle right now. We kick them as much as we can without wearing out their legs. We're practicing everything — the holds, the throws, who can throw better — we're trying to look at everything to evaluate it. The holds are important.

"(Harrison) Butker's going to be involved, I'm going to talk to him [about] who he likes when it comes time. We don't know when we're going to make that decision, whether it's before or after [we] let them go into a game. We're not sure yet, I'll have to talk to Coach Reid. But it's a battle. Both of them give you a lot, both of them have some things they do well."

Araiza, who was once with the Buffalo Bills but didn't make it out of the preseason, is on a very cheap deal. The contract contains little, if any, real financial risk for the Chiefs. During his junior campaign at San Diego State, he burst onto the scene by maintaining versatility as a kicker while also averaging 51.2 yards on nearly 100 punts in 14 games. It earned him the 'Punt God' nickname leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft, when he was picked in the sixth round.

Rehkow was a four-year player at BYU, capping things off with an excellent 2023. He punted 68 times in 12 contests, averaging a healthy 48.4 yards per attempt. His 47.4-yard career average is the second-best career mark ever for an FBS player with at least 125 punts under their belt. Rehkow comes from a football family and was a prime UDFA target on the special teams side.

If both players end up being comparable punters, the final decision may come down to holds (as Toub hinted at). That was an iffy proposition with Townsend during the 2022 season, although the All-Pro figured things out in due time. Butker, one of the best kickers in the sport, should indeed have influence on the final outcome.

This, in conjunction with the NFL's new kickoff rules for 2024, makes for a fun next several weeks. As OTAs wrap up, mandatory minicamp arrives and training camp is on the horizon, Kansas City appears to have one more legitimate battle to consider.

This writer's estimation is that Araiza is the leader, but Rehkow's profile is hard to argue against. He deserves credit and a fighting chance, which is exactly what the Chiefs are providing him.