Bills punter Matt Araiza will NOT be participating in Buffalo's final preseason game ... after a woman made serious rape allegations against him in a lawsuit earlier this week.
22-year-old Araiza -- AKA the "Punt God" -- was originally slated to suit up and play in the Bills' matchup against the Carolina Panthers on Friday night ... but before kickoff, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the team reversed course and will sit him down.
Bills punter Matt Araiza is here. Came in on the third bus and just walked into the locker room. Not sure if he’ll play but sources indicate he will pic.twitter.com/3egFKQoxL5
— Mike Lacett (@mikelacett) August 26, 2022
The decision comes following a civil lawsuit in which a woman accused the former San Diego State star of raping her with his SDSU football teammates during a Halloween party in October 2021.
Bills' 'Punt God' Matt Araiza Sued, Allegedly Raped Minor At Party In 2021
In the suit, the woman -- who's 18 now but said she was 17 at the time of the incident -- claimed she was sexually assaulted by the punter (who was 21 at the time) and two other Aztecs football players for over an hour at his SD home.
The Bills released a statement on Thursday ... saying the team was aware of the allegations and was investigating the situation.
Araiza's attorney denied the allegations in a statement to the Los Angeles Times, saying, "It's a shakedown because he's now with the Buffalo Bills."
"There is no doubt in my mind that Matt Araiza ever raped that girl," the attorney added.
San Diego Police are investigating the incident, though no arrests have been made.