Buffalo Bills quarterback Matt Barkley Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Bills used backup QB Matt Barkley as punter against Panthers

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 8/26/22

The Buffalo Bills were in a tough spot regarding their punter for Friday night’s preseason game, but quarterback Matt Barkley stepped in to ease the situation.

Early this week, the Bills cut Matt Haack, which left sixth-round pick Matt Araiza as the only punter on the team’s roster. But a lawsuit filed on Thursday accused Araiza of sexually assaulting a minor at an off-campus party in October 2021.

The Bills decided to sit Araiza for their preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on Friday. That left Barkley as the team’s punter.

Barkley punted twice in the first quarter, including one that pinned Carolina inside the 10.

Take a look at the video, where Barkley got a nice bounce.

Matt Barkley with a nice 2nd punt pic.twitter.com/PmIrLcZKcH

— alex (@highlghtheaven) August 27, 2022

Barkley’s first punt went for 33 yards. Though it was less impressive, it was a reasonable punt.

Here is Bills back-up QB Matt Barkley with a 33-yard punt tonight. pic.twitter.com/O8H61otUlr

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 27, 2022

The key to longevity in the NFL is versatility. Just ask Barkley.

The 31-year-old has been in the league since 2013. He’s passed for 2,699 yards, 11 touchdowns and 22 interceptions over 19 career games. And he’s a pretty decent punter too when necessary.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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