Two NFL teams WERE aware Matt Araiza was involved in an incident before April’s NFL draft

Two NFL teams were aware Matt Araiza had been involved in an incident in the lead-up to the NFL draft in April.

That’s according to the Associated Press, who say executives from two different NFL teams knew of something concerning the 22-year-old but did not know the extent of the allegations.

The Buffalo Bills, however, knew nothing and signed Araiza in the sixth round of the draft. They released him on Saturday, days after it emerged he has been accused of being involved in the gang rape of a 17-year-old last year, alongside two of his then team-mates at San Diego State.

The Bills did know Araiza was subject of a police investigation, however, when they released Matt Haack – Araiza’s rival for the punter role in the team – on Monday.

The victim’s lawyer, Dan Gilleon, claimed the Bills ignored concerns he raised about Araiza when contacting the team in late July.

‘The Buffalo Bills had no choice but to cut their young punter after so badly botching their response to our claim,’ Gilleon said in a statement carried by The Buffalo News. ‘They ignored us, (when) I warned them would happen could be avoided if they just kept their heads in the sand. This is what enablers do.’

But The Bills did not – they signed Araiza and then released him on Saturday after it was alleged that the 22-year-old gang raped a minor 

The Bills began distancing themselves from Araiza as early as Friday, when he was held out from playing. He instead watched the game from an undisclosed location in the stadium rather than from the sideline along with his teammates.

On Saturday, Araiza was not present for practice even though the Bills said he was on his roster, while at the same time his No. 19 jersey was no longer available for sale on the Bills´ online store after being listed earlier in the day.

Araiza’s only comment since the lawsuit was filed came in a statement released by his agent during the game Friday.

‘The facts of the incident are not what they are portrayed in the lawsuit or in the press. I look forward to quickly setting the record straight,’ Araiza said.

In a text to The AP, Araiza´s lawyer, Kerry Armstrong, defended his client by writing: ‘I am sure he is very upset and disappointed that his career with the Bills ended not because he played poorly, but because of false allegations leveled against him by a young lady and her attorney. I hope he is back in the NFL soon.’ 

Bills general manager Brandon Beane said it was unclear who – Araiza or the victim´s lawyer, Gilleon – first informed the team of the allegations. As for the decision to not contact Gilleon for more information, Beane said the team’s attorney, Kathryn D´Angelo, ‘had heard what he had to say, and that´s when we began our process.’

Beane said Araiza’s version of what happened never changed.

Bills General Manager Brandon Beane announced on Saturday that Araiza has been released 

‘We’re not perfect. But I can tell you, we just tried to do what was right,’ Beane said. ‘In our heart of hearts, I can lay my head down at night knowing that I’ve tried to do what’s right.’

The Bills also informed the NFL of the incident once they were made aware of it, a person familiar with the situation told The AP. The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, wasn´t certain of the timeline.

The NFL declined to comment except to say it was aware of the matter.