According to reports out of Chiefs camp, rookie punter Eddie Czaplicki, who was battling veteran punter Matt Araiza, has been cut, solidifying the spot for Araiza heading into the season for the defending AFC Champions, looking to bounce back from the Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in February.
Now that Czaplicki is on the market, the Falcons could be looking to bring him into camp to challenge Bradley Pinion for the punter role. Pinion, who is the only punter in the Falcons camp, has been with the team since 2022 following stints with Tampa Bay and San Francisco, which drafted him in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, making him the 165th selection overall.
Falcons Must Create Punter Competition at Training Camp
While the role of punter is not high profile, especially when it comes to roster spot battles, this position could prove pivotal to the upcoming Falcons season. During the 2024 season, Pinion ranked 19th in yards per punt with 47 and ranked a dismal 32nd in the league in net yards per punt, with 38.3. Despite his 47 yards per punt being a career high, a number he matched in 2023 as well, he was still ranked in the bottom half of the league's punters.
These below-average numbers for the position could lead the Falcons' front office to look to Czaplicki as a viable option. Pinion is entering his eleventh season in the NFL at age 31 and could find himself with competition for his spot relatively soon. Czaplicki was a camp invite for the Chiefs after going undrafted out of the University of Southern California. With the Trojans, Czaplicki was awarded the Ray Guy Award for being the best punter in college football in 2024.
It remains to be seen if the Falcons will make an attempt to bring another punter into camp before the 53-man roster is finalized, but with available talent like Eddie Czaplicki available, can they afford not to explore the option?