Tag: punter

Twitter reacts to Chiefs signing punter Matt Araiza

Users on Twitter reacted to the #Chiefs’ decision to sign punter Matt Araiza on Thursday.

The Kansas City Chiefs signed free agent punter Matt Araiza on Thursday, marking their first significant move of the offseason since winning Super Bowl LVIII.

Araiza, known to his fans as “Punt God”, was a decorated player as a collegian at San Diego State University, earning All-American honors and the Ray Guy Trophy in 2021.

Initially selected by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Araiza’s professional career was nearly ended by a lawsuit that was dismissed in December.

His signing may mark the end of Tommy Townsend’s tenure in Kansas City, which made some fans feel uneasy about the signing when news of his acquisition by the Chiefs broke this week.

Townsend had become a cherished member of Kansas City’s special teams unit and, with his future now unclear, users on Twitter were quick to react to Araiza’s signing.

Check out their top posts about the move below:

Chiefs sign free agent punter Matt Araiza

The #Chiefs signed punter Matt Araiza on Thursday, a move that could mark the end of Tommy Townsend’s time in Kansas City.

With the cloud of a lawsuit behind him, the Kansas City Chiefs intend to sign former 2022 sixth-round pick Matt Araiza on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the team’s first notable move after its victory in Super Bowl LVIII.

Araiza put together an illustrious career at San Diego State that captivated audiences around the country, earning him the nickname “Punt God.”

He was an All-American in college and won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s best collegiate punter in 2021, leading to his selection by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2022 draft.

That summer he was released, however, after being named in a lawsuit alleging the rape of a 17-year-old girl. Araiza was dropped from the lawsuit in December 2023 in exchange for him dropping a defamation lawsuit against her.

All-Pro punter Tommy Townsend isn’t under contract with the Chiefs for the 2024 season, and Araiza’s addition could be an indication that they are moving on.

While it remains to be seen whether Araiza’s golden leg will be as effective as it was in college, his signing on Thursday is a good sign that Kansas City’s coaching staff is comfortable with his ability to at least compete for a starting spot if Townsend re-signs.

No Saints players led their positions in 2024 Pro Bowl Games fan voting

No current New Orleans Saints players led their positions in fan voting for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games, but two of their former teammates did:

This is tough. No current New Orleans Saints players led their positions in fan voting for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games, but two of their former teammates did while playing for other teams: New York Jets punter Thomas Morstead and Miami Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead both led the AFC in fan votes at their positions.

Maybe the Saints shouldn’t have let them go. Morstead was teammates with Armstead in Miami last year, but he’s continuing to play at a high level in the years since the Saints cut him to open the door for his successor Blake Gillikin. Gillikin was also released earlier this year in favor of Lou Hedley, who has experienced an up-and-down rookie year in the NFL.

As for Armstead: the Saints’ uncertainty at left tackle speaks for itself, though his situation was more complicated. On top of the serious salary cap implications involved, Armstead’s injury history made it tough to justify re-signing him. Even if they had kept Armstead, they would need an expensive insurance policy. Injuries have limited him to just 9 games this season for the Dolphins.

Fan voting is just one part of the process — coaches and the players themselves will also have ballots, so it’s possible some Saints players end up making the cut. And there’s always the possibility they can get in as alternates should starters opt out or are unavailable while playing in the Super Bowl. The NFL announced positional leaders in fan votes on Wednesday, with the AFC and NFC player rosters scheduled for release at 7 p.m. CT on NFL Network and NFL+.

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Riley Dixon debunks cheating allegations with a funny Instagram story

Broncos holder Riley Dixon silenced cheating allegations by showing a nasty turf burn on the back of his hand from Monday’s game in Buffalo.

The Denver Broncos defeated the Buffalo Bills in a wild Monday Night Football game last week thanks to a retaken last-second field goal.

Earlier in the game, Broncos kicker Wil Lutz missed an extra point. Later, punter Riley Dixon mishandled a hold, resulting in a second botched extra point attempt against the Bills.

So after Denver had failed to convert a pair of extra points earlier, a 41-yard field goal on a windy night to win the game was no sure thing. Lutz missed his kick, but the Broncos were gifted a second chance after Buffalo was penalized for having 12 men on the field.

After moving the ball up five yards, Lutz converted from 36 yards out and the Broncos walked away with a 24-22 win. What a crazy game!

The drama didn’t end there, though. After the game, fans on Twitter began accusing Dixon of cheating and using a sticky substance to make it easier to hold for Lutz’s game-winning field goal.

The back of Dixon’s hand had a bad turf burn wound that looked like pine tar. Dixon had the perfect response on his Instagram story this week, sharing a photo of his bruised hand with the caption “Does anyone know how to get spider tac off my hand? Asking for a friend.”

Dixon, of course, was joking. It’s easy to tell from the photo that Buffalo’s artificial turf tore up the back of his hand.

So that should put an end to the conspiracy theories. See a sampling of the accusations below.

Twitter thinks Riley Dixon cheated on Broncos’ game-winning field goal (he didn’t)

Twitter thought Riley Dixon used a sticky substance to help him hold the Broncos’ game-winning field goal, but it’s just turf burn.

Story update: Riley Dixon silenced the cheating allegations by posting a photo of his injured hand on social media. See our original story below. 

After getting a second chance from a Buffalo Bills penalty, Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz converted a 36-yard field goal to secure a 24-22 win on Monday Night Football in Week 10.

After the game, there was some controversy on Twitter from fans who think Denver punter Riley Dixon used a sticky substance to be able to hold the ball for Lutz’s kick. Earlier in the game, Dixon mishandled a snap, leading to a failed extra-point attempt.

On the game-winning field goal, video showed what looked like a Stickum-like substance on the back of Dixon’s right hand. NFL rules, of course, do not allow players to use adhesives on their bodies to help grip the ball.

Here’s video of the play that shows the back of Dixon’s hand:

Chiefs punter Tommy Townsend celebrates 27th birthday

#Chiefs punter Tommy Townsend celebrated his 27th birthday on Sunday, November 12.

The Kansas City Chiefs special teams unit has been one of the best in the NFL this season, and punter Tommy Townsend’s efforts to flip field position have played a large part in the squad’s success in 2023.

Townsend, now in his fourth year with the Chiefs, celebrated his 27th birthday on Sunday, marking yet another trip around the sun for the All-Pro punter.

A consistent presence for Kansas City on Sundays, Townsend has cemented himself as one of the league’s top punters in recent seasons and is known as one of the Chiefs’ most coveted assets on special teams.

In addition to his role as Kansas City’s punter, Townsend also serves as the team’s holder on field goals and has been stellar in his time helping Harrison Butker nail three-point tries since joining the Chiefs as Dustin Colquitt’s successor in 2020.

Though he won’t be on the field in Week 10 as Kansas City takes its bye, fans can expect to see Townsend back in action against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 20.

Dave Toub: QB Patrick Mahomes is the Chiefs’ emergency punter

Special teams coordinator Dave Toub says quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the #Chiefs’ emergency punter.

The Kansas City Chiefs avoided possible disaster before their Week 6 victory over the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football. All-Pro punter Tommy Townsend was dealing with a sore knee ahead of the game but was well enough to get through the game.

Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub has never shied away from utilizing any player on the roster for a role. He has gone to place-kicking enthusiast Justin Reid as an emergency backup for Harrison Butker. Toub revealed to reporters on Thursday his intentions to utilize Patrick Mahomes as the team’s backup punter if necessary in games.

“Yeah, we had a plan. We had a plan, and believe it or not, ’15’ (Mahomes) Is our backup punter,” Toub explained. “He could do it. I mean, he shows me all the time. You know he’s out there boom on Saturdays hitting punts. He can do it all, that guy. It’s unbelievable.”

Mahomes has often pushed for doing more outside of the quarterback position, whether in jest or for the team’s betterment.

“If we wanted him to, he could probably,” said Toub, reiterating the real possibility of Mahomes the punter being an emergency option.

Roll Tide Wire Player of the Game: James Burnip

Roll Tide Wire names its player of the game following Alabama’s Week 7 victory against Arkansas.

Early on, there were several Alabama players that would have qualified to be named as this week’s Roll Tide Wire Player of the Game. However, as the second half unfolded, it was clear as to who should be named the winning recipient. The player who gave Alabama the ultimate edge over the Razorbacks on Saturday was punter James Burnip.

In Week 6, Burnip suffered a calf injury that caused him to miss the second half against Texas A&M. In Week 7, he returned to contribute in a huge way in Alabama’s 24-21 win against Arkansas. The Australian punter booted seven punts for 349 total yards. Burnip averaged 49.9 yards per punt. His longest punt on the day went 59 yards.

Without Burnip, there could have been a different outcome to this game. His leg certainly kept Alabama in a good position in the second half. His ability to flip the field has been second-to-none for the Crimson Tide this season and the trend continued in Week 7 against the Razorbacks.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest regarding the Alabama football program.

Why the Broncos worked out a punter instead of a kicker

Wil Lutz missed two kicks in Week 1, but the Broncos brought in a punter for a workout, not a kicker. Here’s why.

When news broke that the Denver Broncos brought in a specialist for a workout on Wednesday, some fans were surprised to learn that the team hosted a punter, not a kicker.

Broncos kicker Wil Lutz missed two kicks in the team’s season opener, so fans thought competition might be on the way. Denver coach Sean Payton has backed Lutz to bounce back, though, and Payton is not going to undermine the kicker’s confidence — at least not at the moment.

The Broncos are also content with punter Riley Dixon, but he is a right-footed punter and Denver is set to face a left-footed Tress Way when they host the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

Payton likely wanted to give Denver’s punt returners — Marvin Mims and Tremon Smith — reps fielding left-footed punts in practice this week ahead of Sunday’s game against Way.

So the Broncos brought in former XFL punter Brock Miller, a lefty, for a workout. Denver also hosted veteran long snapper Jake McQuaide, according to the NFL’s transaction wire.

If Lutz continues to struggle, the Broncos might bring in kickers down the road. For now, though, it seems that Denver just wanted to get practice reps with a left-footed punter, and they brought in a long snapper to workout with him on Wednesday.

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Alabama’s James Burnip named the Ray Guy Punter of the Week

Alabama’s James Burnip named the Ray Guy Punter of the Week for his efforts against Texas

There weren’t a ton of bright spots for Alabama in their 10-point home loss to Texas on Saturday. The offense and defense both played well below their capabilities, however, one area that really shined was the special teams unit.

Will Reichard, already a Crimson Tide legend, kicked the game-winning field goal against the Longhorns in Austin last year and was phenomenal again as he was 3/3 this past weekend including a 51-yarder.

Punter, James Burnip was also outstanding for Nick Saban’s squad as he was a massive weapon for the Crimson Tide in the field position game. Burnip punted five times for an average of 52.6 yards with three being pinned inside the Longhorns 20.

For Burnip’s outstanding performance, he was named the Ray Guy punter of the week and will certainly be in contention for the award at the end of the year. Burnip also unleashed a 61-yard bomb and will be a key piece in the Tide’s attempt to turn their season around.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.