The Kansas City Chiefs are the healthiest they’ve been all year entering Sunday’s monumental Super Bowl rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s been a trying season with numerous major injuries, though the Chiefs finally seem to be rolling on all cylinders.
Thursday’s injury report came with a surprise, as one key Chiefs starter popped up unexpectedly. This is nothing compared to the sudden ailments the Eagles are dealing with, but it’s important to note nonetheless.
Punter Matt Araiza, who was excellent in his first season with Kansas City as Tommy Townsend’s replacement, was listed with an illness. He was a full participant, yet illnesses can still linger, making this is a situation to monitor.
There has been no indication that Araiza could miss the Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes and Jawaan Taylor were full participants as well and have no risk of sitting, while Skyy Moore was a limited participant and seemingly won’t suit up from the injured reserve list.
Araiza ranked 11th among qualified punters with a 48.8-yard average. Hailed as the “Punt God” coming out of San Diego State, he was the rare kicking specialist worthy of a draft pick, being selected in the sixth round by the Buffalo Bills in 2022.
Off-field controversy, of which Araiza was cleared, derailed the beginning of his NFL career. After being cut by the Bills, Araiza was eventually signed by the Chiefs once his legal issues were behind him.
For those scoring at home, that means Buffalo helped Kansas City acquire three important players: Patrick Mahomes, Xaiver Worthy, and Araiza. Throw in that the Chiefs traded up one spot ahead of the Bills to select Trent McDuffie in 2022 and you start to understand why those fans hate Kansas City so much.
For now, Chiefs Kingdom shouldn’t worry about Araiza’s availability. The punter position doesn’t carry much of a contingency plan, so Kansas City likely would’ve already signed a potential replacement if there was any real concern.
The Chiefs are just one win away from a historic three-peat. FanDuel Sportsbook has them listed as 1.5-point favorites over the Eagles and based on the general health of both teams, that feels like a great value.
