The Kansas City Chiefs community has a new reason to celebrate as standout punter Matt Araiza recently announced his engagement to his longtime girlfriend, Layla Murray. While Araiza is primarily known for his powerful leg and field-flipping punts, he is now making headlines for the stunning engagement ring he presented to Murray. The couple shared their joy on social media, with Murray posting proposal photos and a heartfelt caption that simply read: 

“The easiest yes.”

The engagement has drawn plenty of attention from the tight-knit Chiefs family, including Brittany Mahomes. As the wife of quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Brittany is a central figure in the team’s social circle and frequently supports the partners of her husband’s teammates. She was quick to share her excitement on the engagement post, leaving two enthusiastic comments: “Ahhhhhh perfection!!” and “congrats guys!!” 

Speaking of Araiza and Layla’s relationship, the couple likes to keep things low-key, but if you look at their social media, it seems they’ve been dating since early 2024. Layla Murray mostly stays out of the public eye, but her Instagram shows she has a pretty incredible job—she works in a pediatric ICU, caring for kids who are seriously ill.

The engagement announcement comes right after a successful chapter for Araiza, who joined the Chiefs in February 2024 and has since become an integral part of their high-level special teams performance.

The Chiefs lock in their punter for another year

The Kansas City Chiefs are moving forward with punter Matt Araiza for the upcoming season. While the NFL’s free agency period officially began last Wednesday, Araiza’s name was notably absent from the list of players free to sign elsewhere. This was expected, as Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports confirmed the Chiefs offered Araiza an exclusive rights free agency (ERFA) tender, effectively keeping him in Kansas City.

Under NFL rules, players with expiring contracts and fewer than three credited seasons become EFRAs. If their current team offers them a league-minimum, non-guaranteed salary, those players are prohibited from negotiating with any other team. In Araiza’s case, as a player with two years of experience, his contract for 2026 is set at $1,075,000.

The Buffalo Bills drafted punter Matt Araiza in 2022 but released him before his first season due to a serious legal accusation, which resulted in him not playing in the NFL for two years.

Eventually, investigators cleared his name, and the legal case was dropped. With those issues behind him, the Kansas City Chiefs signed him in early 2024. He has since become their starting punter and even set a new record during the 2025 Super Bowl.

In 2024, Araiza was a powerhouse. He kicked the ball 62 times for over 3,000 yards, averaging an impressive 48.8 yards per punt. He wasn’t just kicking it far; his longest blast went 72 yards. He was also accurate, pinning teams deep in their own territory 25 times.

By 2025, he traded a little bit of that raw power for better control. Since the Chiefs’ offense was playing so well, he didn’t have to punt as often (only 56 times), but he made every kick count.

The biggest improvement was his precision. He cut his mistakes (touchbacks) down from nine to just three, proving he had really figured out how to drop the ball exactly where he wanted it. Even with fewer attempts, he still managed to pin opponents inside the 20-yard line 25 times again, making him one of the most dangerous weapons in the game.

Team leadership has taken notice of this progression. Special teams coordinator Dave Toub praised the punter last December, stating that Araiza was having the best year of his career. 

“I think Matt Araiza’s having a really good year, probably his best year honestly,” Toub said in December.

By bringing him back, the Chiefs are signaling that they believe there is still untapped potential in his game and are committed to seeing his development continue.