Chiefs replace former All-Pro, give ex-Bills punter second chance

The "Punt God" had a stellar college career at San Diego State, earning the Ray Guy Award in 2021 as the NCAA's Most Outstanding Punter. Araiza was also named a consensus All-American that season after leading the country in punting yards (4,044) and average yards per punt (51.2).

He was selected by the Bills in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft in late April, but allegations of Araiza's involvement in a gang rape in 2021 surfaced that August. Buffalo cut Araiza two days after the allegations came out.

The former Aztec had a workout with the New York Jets last May after being cleared of any wrongdoing following an investigation conducted by the school. Araiza had an uphill battle to claim a roster spot though, as New York had already signed veteran Pro Bowler Thomas Morstead that April.

The woman who said Araiza raped her dropped her civil suit against the 23-year-old in December.

Townsend signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in April 2020 and has played in each of the team's 79 games (including 13 playoff games and three Super Bowls) over the past four seasons. He was a Pro Bowler and was named first-team All-Pro in 2022 but is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency in March.