According to Wednesday’s NFL personnel notice, the Kansas City Chiefs have waived punter Eddie Czaplicki.
The Chiefs' punter battle is officially over. The team waived P Eddie Czaplicki, which means Matt Araiza will be the team's punter again in 2025. They also had six players in for tryouts today. They reportedly signed former Kansas WR Kwamie Lassiter II (though not official on… pic.twitter.com/LXHPSnJqDT
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) July 30, 2025
That means Matt Araiza has officially won the Chiefs’ punter job for the 2025 season. Kansas City signed Czaplicki as an undrafted free agent this past April with the intent of giving him a real shot to unseat Araiza.
Special teams coordinator Dave Toub recently stated that he hoped for the battle to continue into the preseason, but the team would have to stay relatively healthy for that to happen. The injuries piled up quickly for the Chiefs during Day 7 of training camp, leading to Czaplicki being waived.
Taking his place is wide receiver Kwamie Lassiter, who Kansas City signed following a workout on Wednesday. The Chiefs worked out five other players as well, including four defensive backs. With as many injuries as they currently have within their secondary, it would not be surprising to see them sign one soon.
Toub also stated that Araiza had the edge over Czaplicki. 2024 was essentially Araiza’s rookie season, which came with mixed results. He has one of the strongest legs among all punters in the NFL, but needs to learn how to contain it when trying to pin opponents deep in their own territory. Still just 25 years old, Araiza still has plenty of room for growth and improvement.
During Super Bowl LIX, Araiza set a record for the most yards per punt average with 51.8 on six attempts. In the regular season he finished 10th in the league in yards per punt, 16th in punts downed inside the 20-yard line, and tied for the most touchbacks given up with nine. During his junior year at San Diego State, Araiza won the Ray Guy Award after breaking the NCAA record for the highest yards per punt average during a season at 51.19.
