The Kansas City Chiefs have officially tendered an offer to punter Matt Araiza for the 2025 season, per NFL reporter Tom Pelissero.
Last season was a one-year tryout of sorts for Matt Araiza after facing competition from Ryan Rehkow during the offseason. The Chiefs went with Araiza in a move that raised some eyebrows following the punter's two-year absence from the NFL and now the restricted free agent will be back again,.
Terms of the offer are for $960K for the 2025 season.
The Chiefs turned to Araiza after allowing former punter Tommy Townsend to depart in free agency in 2024 to the Houston Texans. Townsend inked a two-year deal worth up to $6 million with Houston and the Chiefs turned to younger options to get cheaper at the position. Townsend, to his credit, was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro early in his career.
Araiza had 68 punts last season for the Chiefs with an average of 48.8 yards with a long of 72 yards. The net average for each punt after returns was 41.5 for Araiza, good for No. 15 overall in the NFL.
The Chiefs have had no issues finding punters over the years. After the great Dustin Colquitt retired following 15 seasons with the team and 17 in the NFL, the Chiefs have employed Jack Fox, Townsend, Rehkow, and Araiza—all of whom have gone on to successful careers if they've left K.C. That's credit to the team's front office and Dave Toub, the Chiefs' special teams coordinator.