What early training camp punter move means for Matt Araiza

The Kansas City Chiefs began training camp with a competition at the punter spot. But after roughly a week in St. Joseph, Missouri, that battle is no more. Kansas City waived rookie undrafted free agent punter Eddie Czaplicki on Wednesday. Matt Araiza, the incumbent option at punter, will now have the job secured without any outside options competing with him in camp.

Not many standout reactions were coming Czaplicki's way before the news of him being waived dropped. But even still, the Chiefs had to add some more depth in other spots. Due to the early training camp injuries at wide receiver, more bodies were simply needed in that area of the roster. One such move that K.C. made at wide receiver late Wednesday was the addition of former Kansas Jayhawk Kwamie Lassiter II.

With Czaplicki no longer in the fold, what does this mean for Matt Araiza going forward? All in all, the Chiefs received an admirable season from Araiza last year in his first campaign with the team. Kansas City is likely looking for a bit more consistency in between the 20s. That is especially true in items like hang time and ball placement. Araiza could also improve on his mark for punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

Granted, the Chiefs are hoping they do not have to punt very often. Improvements and more consistency on offense could very well determine if Kansas City is atop of the conference again. But if they do need to depend on Araiza in key situations, there are spots to monitor closely in terms of possible gains.

Dropping Czaplicki this early on in training camp could also mean a lot more for Araiza beyond 2025. If he has a solid enough season this year, he could hold a much firmer grab on the Chiefs' punter role for multiple years in the future. Kansas City holds their special teams roles in high regard. So if Araiza can be pinpoint throughout the duration of this upcoming season, he could make the team's decision on that spot simple for 2026.