Tag: punter

Indianapolis Colts punter Matt Haack (6) kicks the ball Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Report: Giants to sign P Matt Haack as injury sub

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The New York Giants are signing veteran punter Matt Haack as an insurance policy ahead of their Sunday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals, ESPN reported Saturday.

Punter Jamie Gillan is listed as questionable for the Giants (2-3) against the Bengals (1-4) with a left hamstring injury.

Haack, 30, was among a handful of punters to work out for the Giants on Friday.

Haack spent the first four seasons of his career (2017-20) with the Miami Dolphins, followed by single seasons each with the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts. He appeared in one game for the Cleveland Browns in 2023.

He has played in 99 games and averaged 44.5 yards on 432 punts.

–Field Level Media

Oct 8, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass against the Minnesota Vikings during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is team’s backup punter

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Patrick Mahomes wears many hats for the Kansas City Chiefs.

In addition to being the team’s star quarterback, Mahomes also serves as Kansas City’s backup punter. Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub let the cat out of the bag on Thursday in regard to Mahomes’ lesser-known role with the club.

Starting punter Tommy Townsend has done a fine job in his role, even earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors last season while averaging a career-best 50.4 yards per kick.

With Townsend nursing a left knee injury heading into last week’s game versus the Denver Broncos, Toub needed to have an alternate plan if needed.

“The backup punter? Yeah, we had a plan,” Toub said Thursday. “We had a plan, and believe it or not, (Mahomes) is our backup punter.”

Toub was confident Mahomes could step up in a pinch if needed.

“He can do it,” Toub said. “He shows me all the time. He’s out there going on Saturday hitting punts. He can do it all that guy.”

–Field Level Media

With Buffalo punter Matt Araiza (19) holding, kicker Tyler Bass (2) kicks a field goal during the Bills 27-24 win over Indianapolis in their preseason game Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022 at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. Sd 081322 Bills 76 Spts

Report: P Matt Araiza to work out with Jets

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Punter Matt Araiza will work out with the New York Jets on Wednesday, ESPN reported, citing Araiza’s agent.

Araiza’s rookie season ended abruptly last August before it started. He had won the punting job in Buffalo, but the Bills released him two days after a young woman filed a civil suit accusing Araiza and two of his former San Diego State teammates of gang rape when she was 17.

The district attorney’s office declined to press criminal charges last December, and San Diego State officials said last week that an investigation found no evidence against Araiza.

A May 9 report from Yahoo Sports said a review of transcripts in the case shows that Araiza, now 23, wasn’t present at the San Diego residence at the time the woman said the assault occurred on Oct. 15, 2021.

A civil lawsuit filed by the woman is pending.

Araiza, who won the Ray Guy Award in 2021 as the nation’s best college punter, was drafted by the Bills with the first pick of the sixth round in the 2022 draft. In his final season at San Diego State, he set an NCAA record with an average of 51.19 yards per punt.

In March, the Jets signed veteran punter Thomas Morstead to a one-year, $1.32 million contract that contains nearly $1.1 million in guarantees.

–Field Level Media

Nov 20, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New York Jets punter Braden Mann (7) kicks the ball against the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

Steelers bring in former Jets punter Braden Mann

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Punter Braden Mann, who was released after three seasons with the New York Jets on Thursday, was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday.

Mann, 25, could provide competition for incumbent Pressley Harvin III, the Steelers’ punter the past two seasons. Harvin averaged 42.6 yards per punt (38.0 net) in 2021 and 44.5 yards (41.1 net) in 2022.

The Jets selected Mann out of Texas A&M in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he appeared in all 16 games and averaged 43.9 yards per punt with a net average of 37.2 on an NFL-high 82 punts.

Mann suffered a knee injury on his first punt in the 2021 season opener at Carolina and missed seven games. He returned to average 45.7 yards and 41.6 net yards, with 14 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line with one touchback.

Last season, Mann played in 17 games and averaged a franchise-record 46.9 yards per punt (17th in the league) with a net average of 40.8 (24th). He recorded eight touchbacks and a career-high 27 punts downed inside the 20. Two punts were returned for touchdowns.

The Jets recently signed veteran punter Thomas Morstead, making Mann available for trade, according to reports.

Mann would earn a $1.01 million salary if he makes the Steelers’ roster, while Harvin is slated to make $940,000, according to reports.

–Field Level Media

Mar 5, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; San Diego State place kicker Matt Araiza (PK01) talks to the media during the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Ex-Bills P Trevor Araiza won’t face rape charges

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former Buffalo Bills punter Trevor Araiza will not face rape charges, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.

The Bills released Araiza in August, two days after the rookie was named in a civil lawsuit claiming he was one of three San Diego State players involved in the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl at Araiza’s off-campus San Diego home in October 2021.

“Ultimately, prosecutors determined it is clear the evidence does not support the filing of criminal charges and there is no path to a potential criminal conviction,” the DA’s office said in a statement. “Prosecutors can only file charges when they ethically believe they can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.”

The lawsuit filed in San Diego County Superior Court named Araiza and 2021 San Diego State teammates Zavier Leonard and Nowlin “Pa’a” Ewaliko. No charges will be filed against Leonard or Ewaliko either.

The Bills selected Araiza, 22, in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

He earned the nickname “Punt God” for his pattern of long booming kicks at San Diego State, where he joined legendary runner Marshall Faulk (1992, 1993) as the lone unanimous All-Americans in program history.

Araiza won the Ray Guy Award in 2021 as the nation’s top punter and finished the season with a NCAA-record 51.19-yard average.

–Field Level Media