Ex-Bills punter Matt Araiza breaks silence after officials say he wasn’t present during alleged rape

Matt Araiza, the former Buffalo Bills punter who was accused of rape last year, broke his silence on Tuesday after prosecutors said he was not present during the alleged incident.

Prosecutors came out with their report on Monday, according to Yahoo Sports. The claims stemmed from when Araiza was a student-athlete at San Diego State. A deputy district attorney reportedly explained why they found no evidence to press charges against Araiza or anyone else accused in the civil lawsuit to the girl and her attorneys.

“I am aware that the facts of this case have been made public,” Araiza told Pro Football Talk in a statement on Tuesday. “I am deeply gratified for the thorough work of the DA’s office in San Diego and for all the witnesses that were willing to come forward and tell the truth. I am thankful that the facts of this case as provided by the witnesses will prove that what I have been saying from the beginning is, in fact, the truth.

“I can only hope that now people will assess me on the facts and not what was falsely claimed in both the civil suit and in the press.

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“I am beyond thankful for the unwavering support of both my family and friends. They have been a rock in what has been a very dark eight months for me. However, now that the truth is out, I am amazed by the thousands of emails and tweets supporting me. It has truly been a blessing to know so many people have now judged me by the facts.”

Araiza was released last August once the allegations came to light. He was cleared of criminal wrongdoing in December and the reporting helped reveal why prosecutors made the decision.

Araiza faces no punishment from the NFL because the alleged incident occurred before he was selected by the Bills in the spring 2022 draft.