(Update: 11:00 a.m.): The Bills have confirmed that Martin has been re-signed by the team:
-Agreed to terms with P Sam Martin on a three-year contract.
-Agreed to terms with LB Tyler Matakevich on a one-year contract. pic.twitter.com/6gx8gkU22c
— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) March 13, 2023
Previous coverage:
The Buffalo Bills will keep the direction of their punts the same in 2023 and beyond.
Just ahead of the start of free agency’s tampering window on Monday, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that the Bills and punter Sam Martin have agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth up to $7.5 million. Of that, $4.115M is guaranteed.
Martin was originally signed by the team to a one-year deal t the end of August 2023. He was originally added after the team released rookie Matt Araiza.
Araiza was let go due to an off-field incident from college.
Araiza was a sixth-round pick of the Bills at the 2022 NFL draft. On Aug. 25 shortly after the team awarded Araiza the starting punting job, the allegation surfaced and he was released only days later.
That lawsuit against him in criminal court has since been dropped, but a civil suit is still scheduled for October.
Martin re-signing puts any thought of a return to Buffalo for Araiza to bed. Martin did more than earn his new contract.
The 32-year-old averaged 47 yards per punt. That was the second-best of his long career which dates back to 2013.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott has typically favored left-footed punters during his tenure with the team, however, Martin’s successes have evidently convinced him to overlook that.
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