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The Kansas City Chiefs recently added to their special teams room by signing former free agent punter Matt Araiza to a contract. A report on Friday morning adds some context to the offseason pickup.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network has the details. According to him, Araiza is on a minimum contract for 2024 and the deal includes an injury split. Pelissero notes "no financial risk" for the reigning Super Bowl champions.
The #Chiefs signed Matt Araiza to a minimum deal with an injury split. So no financial risk as the champs give Araiza a chance to get his career back. https://t.co/snyVjQwAdv
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 23, 2024
For the 2024 league year, the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement indicates that Araiza will make $795,000 if he makes the Chiefs' 53-man roster. Because he was released by the Buffalo Bills before what would've been his rookie season — more on that here — he still doesn't have any years of accrued service time in the league. That $795,000 figure is the minimum salary for players in his shoes, with totals of $915,000 and $985,000 for those with one and two years of accrued service, respectively. The injury split allows Kansas City to lower Araiza's pay should he suffer an ailment that sees him land on the injured reserve list.
On the surface, Araiza's maximum earnings and potential cap hit (if he makes the team) would come in much lower than those of Tommy Townsend. In 2023, Townsend carried a cap charge of just over $2.6 million. With the 27-year-old set to hit free agency, the Chiefs are bringing in a low-cost insurance policy with serious upside.
Speaking of insurance policies, don't necessarily write Araiza's name atop the depth chart with a pen. Pencil seems more appropriate, especially considering the minimum contract. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Chiefs acquire some competition at the punter spot given that Araiza hasn't been a part of an NFL team for well over a year. The New York Jets hosted him for a workout in May of 2023, but that's a far cry from getting into a routine and proving to still be a starting-caliber player in the league.
As Pelissero notes, this is an opportunity for Araiza to get his NFL career back on track. He put together quite the resume in three collegiate seasons at San Diego State, making 50 field goals overall and then coming into his own as a punter in his junior campaign. That 2021 season featured 79 punts for over 4,000 yards, good for a 51.2-yard average. Can the former All-American latch on with the Chiefs? He'll either turn out to be a value signing or a very minor investment that didn't pan out.
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