Buffalo Bills

Bills punter Matt Araiza will NOT be participating in Buffalo's final preseason game ... after a woman made serious rape allegations against him in a lawsuit earlier this week.

22-year-old Araiza -- AKA the "Punt God" -- was originally slated to suit up and play in the Bills' matchup against the Carolina Panthers on Friday night ... but before kickoff, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the team reversed course and will sit him down.

The decision comes following a civil lawsuit in which a woman accused the former San Diego State star of raping her with his SDSU football teammates during a Halloween party in October 2021.

In the suit, the woman -- who's 18 now but said she was 17 at the time of the incident -- claimed she was sexually assaulted by the punter (who was 21 at the time) and two other Aztecs football players for over an hour at his SD home.

The Bills released a statement on Thursday ... saying the team was aware of the allegations and was investigating the situation.

Araiza's attorney denied the allegations in a statement to the Los Angeles Times, saying, "It's a shakedown because he's now with the Buffalo Bills."

"There is no doubt in my mind that Matt Araiza ever raped that girl," the attorney added.

Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza -- who earned the nickname "Punt God" for his kicking abilities at San Diego State -- is being sued ... after he allegedly participated in the gang rape of a minor at a party in 2021.

The lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, was filed in San Diego County Superior Court this week.

In the docs, a woman identified only as Jane Doe says when she was 17 years old, she and several of her friends attended a Halloween party on Oct. 17, 2021 at Araiza's home.

She claims in the documents she was inebriated upon arriving at the residence, and encountered Araiza in the yard of his home a short time later. She said the former SDSU football player, who was 21 at the time, handed her a drink that she later believed contained alcohol and "other intoxicating substances."

Doe says in the docs the two engaged in sexual acts outside of the home. Araiza then allegedly led her inside, and threw her onto a bed. The woman claims he then gang raped her with two of his Aztecs teammates at the time -- Nowlin "Pa'a" Ewaliko and Zavier Leonard, who are also named as defendants in the suit.

The woman claims the sexual abuse went on for about an hour and a half, before the party was eventually shut down. She said in the suit she "stumbled out of the room bloody and crying."

She's suing Araiza, Ewaliko and Leonard for unspecified damages.

Araiza's attorney denied the allegations in a statement to the Los Angeles Times, saying, "It's a shakedown because he's now with the Buffalo Bills."

"There is no doubt in my mind that Matt Araiza ever raped that girl," the attorney added.

Attorneys for Leonard and Ewaliko declined to comment, the Times reported.

The Bills -- who took Araiza in the sixth round of this year's NFL Draft and named him their starting punter earlier this month -- released a statement on the allegations Thursday afternoon, saying, "We were recently made aware of a civil complaint involving Matt from October 2021."

"Due to the serious nature of the complaint, we conducted a thorough examination of this matter. As this is an ongoing civil case, we will have no other comment at this point."

Want to bet on "The Amazing Race" this season? Avoid putting money on Rex Ryan at all costs -- so says his former co-worker, John Harbaugh, who told reporters Thursday he thinks the ex-Jets & Bills head man has no shot of winning!

"I think he'll get lost," the Ravens head coach said with a smile in a meeting with media members. "Right out of the gates."

Harbaugh appeared to be at least partially kidding -- after all, he and Ryan have been good friends for years after coaching together at a couple stops in their coaching careers, and have no doubt poked fun at each other a few times in their meetups.

But, John made it clear he doesn't have too much hope for Ryan on the famous travel challenge show regardless.

"It depends on his partner, actually," said Harbaugh, who admitted he watches the show with his family often. "It depends if Rex wants to listen or not."

"You can't blitz your way out of the airport," he said with a chuckle, "or something like that."

The Bills Mafia is teaming up to support star tight end Dawson Knox -- putting their wallets together to honor his brother, FIU football player Luke Knox, after his tragic death ... by donating nearly $100k to a charity that is close to their family.

P.U.N.T. -- a pediatric cancer organization affiliated with the Knox brothers -- has been receiving donations of $16.88, representing their jersey numbers, after news of Luke's passing broke on Thursday.

Dawson has been affiliated with the org. since his rookie season in 2019 ... and as the Bills Mafia is known to do during tough times, they did what they could to share their condolences.

The charity says its inbox has been flooded with contributions ... saying, "Since yesterday [Thursday], over 5000 donations have come in, most in the amount of $16.88, in acknowledgment of Luke and Dawson’s football numbers, totaling nearly $95,000."

"These resources will be meaningful and impactful in our service to WNY families facing pediatric cancer in the ways they need it most."

Thoughtful donations have become a trend for Bills fans -- they also previously made contributions to the Oishei Children's Hospital after Josh Allen's grandmother passed away.

As we previously reported, Luke -- who began his college career at Ole Miss -- died at the age of 22. No details surrounding the cause of Luke's death have been released.

P.U.N.T. Exec Gwen Mysiak said, "Dawson Knox and his family are an incredibly valued and cherished part of our organization. They have stood behind our mission with their whole hearts. In sorrow, we stand with them now at this time of profound loss."

Tragic news ... Luke Knox, a Florida International University linebacker and brother of Bills star Dawson Knox, has died suddenly at the age of 22.

FIU officials and Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott just confirmed the passing ... though a cause of death was not revealed.

"Our hearts go out to Dawson and his family during this time," McDermott just told reporters at Bills training camp. "We're right there with him and supporting him and his family. Just tragic news that I woke up to this morning."

Luke initially began his college career at Ole Miss in 2018 -- playing both linebacker and tight end. He transferred to FIU this offseason -- and had been expected to compete for a starting LB spot this year.

FIU's head coach Mike MacIntyre, who coached Luke at both Ole Miss and FIU, said in a statement Wednesday he was heartbroken over the football player's death.

"Luke’s family is special to me and they will continually be in my heart and my prayers during this difficult time," MacIntyre said. "On behalf of the entire FIU football family, I extend sincere condolences to Luke's family and all who love him."

Dawson was very close with Luke -- the two played together for a season at Ole Miss in 2018 -- and the guys actually shared a very funny moment when Dawson was drafted by Buffalo in 2019.

Luke, celebrating the pick, accidentally punched Dawson in the face -- causing him to bleed on his big night.

"So dang proud of you bro," Luke said in a post to Dawson on the draft night. "Time to go get what's yours!! Love you"

Dawson has yet to publicly comment on the tragedy.

RIP.

Marshawn Lynch's car appeared undrivable by the time cops arrived and busted him for DUI on Tuesday ... with one tire completely missing, and at least one other flattened.

TMZ Sports has obtained pictures of the 2020 Shelby GT500 cops believe Lynch was driving prior to his arrest ... showing the front-left wheel's rim resting on the pavement, with no tire in sight.

Witnesses tell us they saw Lynch parked at the scene around 5:45 AM -- roughly two hours before his arrest -- and claim at one point, the running back exited his car to sit on the curb with the driver-side door wide open.

We're told Lynch remained at the scene until cops arrived ... who ultimately determined he was impaired and arrested him for driving under the influence.

We're told Lynch left a trail of damage on the road until his car reached its resting point ... with visible marks on the pavement and curbs. As we previously reported, sources say Lynch was driving into roadside curbs prior to the arrest.

Lynch was taken to jail and booked for DUI -- he's also facing charges of failure/refusing to surrender proof of security, unregistered vehicle and failure to drive in a travel lane.

Ex-NFL star running back Marshawn Lynch was arrested in Las Vegas on Tuesday ... after cops claim he was driving under the influence.

LVMPD says 36-year-old Lynch was pulled over near the Las Vegas Strip on Fairfield Avenue and West Utah Avenue around 7:25 AM on Tuesday. Sources tell TMZ Sports he was driving into curbs on the side of the road before the traffic stop.

After speaking with Lynch, cops believe he was driving under the influence ... and was taken to jail.

Lynch did not submit to a breathalyzer, but we're told he had his blood drawn.

Marshawn played for 12 seasons in the league ... winning Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks in Feb. 2014.

Lynch -- who played for the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders during his career -- is a 5-time Pro Bowler and 2-time NFL rushing touchdown leader.

In the regular season, he had 10,413 rushing yards, 85 rushing TDs, 2,214 receiving yards and 9 receiving TDs.

Off the field, Lynch co-owns the Beasts of the Fan Controlled Football league ... and Bay Area Panthers in Indoor Football League.

It's not the first time Lynch has been arrested for DUI -- in 2012, he was busted after cops determined his blood alcohol level was above the .08 limit while driving in Oakland.

Story developing ...

A Bills Mafia member took things way too far while trying to get a Josh Allen autograph out at Bills camp this weekend -- and the QB was so mad over their attempt to get him to sign a football, he screamed at them.

The incident with the Buffalo superstar was all captured on video ... when the 26-year-old signal-caller was jogging into the locker room after practice on Sunday.

You can see the Pro Bowler was waving at fans -- when a football still in its original cardboard packaging was thrown at him.

Allen didn't have time to swat it away, and it caught him square in the groin. Immediately afterward, he stopped in his tracks, and scolded the fan who appeared to hurl it his way.

Allen, while pointing into the stands, called the fan "disrespectful" repeatedly.

Stefon Diggs ran into a similar incident while out on the field Sunday as well -- as several fans threw jerseys and footballs at him to try to get his John Hancock.

The 28-year-old wideout was stunned by what he saw, but he kept signing anyway.

This ain't the first time we've seen fans go over the top for pro athletes' autographs this year ... just last month, a grown man was seen on video getting pushy with kids at the MLB All-Star game while trying to get a few things signed.

Move over, Backstreet Boys, there's a new boy band in town -- introducing the Backstreet Bills!!!

Rookies on Buffalo's offensive line ripped their shirts off and gave a heartfelt rendition of "I Want It That Way" as part of their introduction to the team on Thursday ... and honestly, we're impressed!!

Tanner Owen, Alec Anderson and the guys alternated the classic lyrics as superstars Josh Allen and Co. watched the performance ... with the QB even turning on his iPhone flashlight to replicate a lighter.

There was also a bit of dancing going on -- proving the guys were truly giving 100% out there, even if they didn't have an empty airport to use for the big performance.

Rooks have been showing off their pipes recently as part of the yearly tradition -- as we previously reported, Eagles top pick Jordan Davis wowed the crowd with his cover of "Mary Jane" by Rick James just a few days ago.

Buffalo Bills owner Kim Pegula is on the road to recovery after a health issue left her hospitalized earlier this month ... with the team saying she is "progressing well."

The Pegula family said in a statement two weeks ago that Kim had been "receiving medical care as a result of some unexpected health issues" ... and on Tuesday, they shared a positive update.

"Kim is progressing well and is resting and rehabilitating from a health issue," the statement reads.

"We are grateful for the medical professionals providing her care and to everyone for their prayers and well wishes."

Pegula was reportedly in the ICU at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional, according to Spectrum News 1.

Kim, who married Terry Pegula, a billionaire businessman, back in 1993 ... is an integral part of both the Buffalo Sabres and the Bills, two teams the Pegula family owns.

She's the team president of both squads ... and, in fact, is the first female to hold that title in both the NFL and NHL.

Josh Allen's teammate just revealed the Bills superstar is obsessed with cracking "deez nuts" jokes ... saying the QB gets Buffalo rookies with the quip on a regular basis!!

Tight end Dawson Knox explained Allen's infatuation with the joke to a group of reporters on Wednesday ... saying dudes have to walk on thin ice in the locker room whenever Allen asks them a question.

"Every day is a new 'deez nuts' joke," Knox said. "You can never be comfortable around him because anytime he comes up and asks you a question, you just have to walk away."

Knox explained the veterans have become more savvy to it ... but Bills rookies are sitting ducks!

"That's why he loves having the rookies 'cause they have no idea," Knox said. "Anybody new in the locker room."

Knox said it's all fun and games, though ... and even added that it's so generally so humorous, most of the team joins in on it "by the end of the day."

"That's a little peek into his personality," Knox said.

Bills legend Bruce Smith tells TMZ Sports he played a role in bringing Von Miller to his former team ... saying he personally told Buffalo coaches and execs the ex-Rams star is exactly what they need to get to a Super Bowl.

Smith made the revelation in a conversation with us this week ... explaining that prior to Miller's Bills signing this offseason, Smith had a conversation with head coach Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane to convince them to go after Miller.

"I told them," Smith said, "I said, 'Look, this is the guy we need rushing the quarterback.'"

Smith said in previous convos he's had with McDermott, he's stressed the importance of having a game-wrecking pass rusher on the team ... and explained that when Miller became available, he believed the 33-year-old was the perfect guy for that role.

"His body of work speaks for itself," Smith said. "And that's what you have to focus on."

Obviously, McDermott and Beane listened to Smith -- because, after all, the guy is the NFL's all-time sacks leader -- and ended up signing Miller to a six-year contract.

Smith said the move now pushes Buffalo's defense to a whole 'nother level ... and makes them a big-time contender for this season's Lombardi Trophy.

"The Match" is starting off hot ... with Patrick Mahomes opening up a barely healed wound, clowning his own golf teammate Josh Allen over the Bills' BRUTAL overtime playoff loss to the Chiefs!

The two QBs are back on the green for the first time since the AFC divisional round ... taking on Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers in a celebrity golf match.

But, before the round began, the four superstar signal-callers were asked a series of questions from fans on social media... one question being, "Josh's biggest fear?"

Mahomes' (super cold) response ... "A coin toss."

OUCH!!! And, Allen must have felt it too 'cause his reaction was priceless!!!

Of course, KC beat Buffalo during their January playoff game, with a trip to the AFC Championship game on the line, scoring 25 points in the last 2 minutes of regulation, forcing OT.

The Chiefs won the coin toss ... and the rest is history. KC advanced, but ended up losing to the Bengals.

Another fan asked Allen if it's true he throws up before every game.

Allen confessed ... saying, "I do throw up before every game."

And, with all the pressure of The Match, is it possible he might blow chunks before he tees off?

"If I start thinking about it, I get a little queasy."

There's more -- Brady dropped an "F" bomb right off the bat ... with the hot mic picking it up.

Allen also hit a spectator in the hand on the second hole ... so yeah, this is nothing short of entertaining.

Last time Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen stepped on a field together, they were battling in arguably the greatest NFL playoff game of all time ... a thriller that prompted the creator of "The Match" to call TV execs on the spot to set up Wednesday's round.

TMZ Sports talked to the creator, TV producer Bryan Zuriff ... and asked how he locked down four of the most famous/talented quarterbacks -- Mahomes/Allen ... and Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.

"Literally after the game that day when they had that epic game, they scored like 28 points in 3 minutes. Probably the greatest game in football history. I texted the network and said, 'We gotta do something with these guys. This is the future of the NFL,'" Zuriff told us.

Of course, the Bills and Chiefs faced off on January 23, 2022 in the divisional round of the playoffs ... and the game was CRAZY. The lead changed hands 3 times in the final 2 minutes ... a period that saw 25 points scored.

Allen and the Bills ultimately had their hearts broken, losing the game to Pat and the Chiefs.

Bryan also talked about his partnership with TB12 ... who along with being a competitor, is also a producer of the event.

"Tom is an incredible partner. He goes the extra mile with everything he does. He's truly one of the great people to work with in the world. I'm very fortunate he's a producer with me and he's a great partner and is super passionate about golf," Zuriff says.

And, Bryan believes his event is having a big impact on the game of golf, and its popularity.

"I really think we are actually growing the game more so than traditional PGA tournaments that you see every week, because we're reaching the fans in different sports to come into golf, and all these athletes are playing golf."

Zuriff also told the story of how the original Match came to be (it came to him in a dream!) ... a story that involves both Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.

Phil and Tiger -- one of the best rivalries in the sport's history -- ultimately faced off in a match play style event in November 2018 for a reported purse of $9 million. Mickelson beat Woods.

Steph Curry and Peyton Manning have also played in The Match, among other sports stars.

The Match -- the 6th iteration -- goes down Tuesday evening on TNT!

Von Miller can breathe a sigh of relief -- the NFL superstar's revenge porn lawsuit has been dismissed.

Court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, show the case was officially tossed out with prejudice on Wednesday.

We broke the story -- the 2-time Super Bowl champ was accused of sending sexually explicit pictures taken with a woman to two celebrities "in a fit of jealousy, anger, and rage" in May 2020.

The unnamed woman claimed Von sent texts to the celebs ... saying things like, "This the bitch you want? You can have her dawg."

It's unclear whether a settlement was reached ... but the woman was seeking "monetary damages."

The 8-time Pro Bowler had not spoken publicly about the lawsuit ... and it's unclear if the league ever looked into the claims.

Josh Allen clearly doesn't believe Tom Brady really sank a hole-in-one on a golf course recently ... sayin' the Buccaneers star's video of the alleged ace was "bulls***."

The Buffalo Bills quarterback made his feelings clear with an Adam Sandler meme just minutes after Brady dropped a video of him apparently sinking the long shot.

In the GIF, Sandler stutters ... before spittin' out, "BULLS***!" -- a clear sign Allen believes Brady photoshopped it all.

TB12, though, sure did a good job sellin' the clip if it was indeed fake -- 'cause he captioned the video by saying, "This is why you film every shot on the course…"

He also celebrated his face off in the vid -- jumpin' around as if he had just won (another) Super Bowl.

Patrick Mahomes, meanwhile, seems to be on the side of believing Tom's footage was real -- tweeting, "Not going to lie pretty impressive…"

Of course, all three NFL superstars are talkin' golf this week because they're now just days away from taking on each other -- along with Aaron Rodgers -- at this year's The Match tournament in Las Vegas.

Mahomes and Allen will face Rodgers and Brady -- and the guys have already trash-talked each other a bunch leading up to the event.