In today’s nfl, special teams are often overlooked, but it was one of the steelers’ biggest weaknesses in 2023. Over the past three years, pittsburgh has seen punter pressley harvin iii average just 43.7 yards per punt, and the team has finally decided it’s seen enough, dropping the former seventh-round pick as part of its first round of picks. Matt araiza was able to return to the nfl thanks to this opening. however, not with the steelers. Araiza, a bills sixth-round pick in 2022, set ncaa records in punt average (51.19), 60-yard punts (18) and 50-yard punts (39) in a season, as well as 70-yard punts (six).
However, he was accused of assaulting a then-17-year-old girl at an off-campus party in 2021, just months after the draft. The charges were dropped by the woman in december 2023. Araiza was signed to a one-year contract by kansas city, according to espn’s jeremy fowler. According to josh carney, a steelers insider for usa today, there is now “a real chance” pittsburgh will sign all-pro punter tommy townsend in free agency due to the signing of araiza. Townsend has been one of the best punters in the league, helping the chiefs win two super bowls (lvii and lviii).
Kansas city is short on funds, and signing araiza to a cheap deal indicates that it will allow townsend to leave the city in free agency. If you or someone you know is concerned with any of the issues discussed in this article, call the national sexual assault hotline at 1-800-656-hope (4673). If you are in the united states and have contemplated suicide, call the national suicide and crisis lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-talk (8255) to speak with a licensed counselor.
