After a thrilling 2023 season, where Dustin Hopkins was nearly perfect for the Cleveland Browns, it was no surprise to see him sign a three-year, $15.9 million contract extension, which made him a top-five paid kicker at the time.
I don’t think it’s a for sure thing that Dustin Hopkins will be the week one kicker…
— Brad Stainbrook (@StainbrookNFL) August 16, 2025
Hopkins finished the 2023 season going 33 of 36 and set an NFL record with 5-straight games where he made a 50-yard-plus attempt. Hopkins originally was traded for after the failed Cade York experiment, and now the writing could be on the wall that Hopkins will be out for a former UFL kicker, Andrew Szmyt.
Hopkins is 2-2 on field goals this preseason, but he has already missed an extra point and was a disappointing 18 of 27 last year on field goals and missed three extra points. It’s tough to tell at this point if Szmyt will have a real shot at the starting job, or if this was just a way to get Hopkins a little more focused before the start of the season.
Szmyt doesn’t have any NFL experience kicking, as he’s bounced between the UFL and a few other practice squads throughout the NFL. But Szmyt got his chance on Saturday vs. the Philadelphia Eagles, where he knocked through a 49 and 33 33-yard field goal as well as an extra point. It’s tough to judge a kicker's film, but worth noting that the 49-yarder before halftime was after being iced by the Eagles and was right down the middle with plenty of leg to spare.
The Browns have one more preseason game vs. the Rams next Saturday. If Hopkins has a good week of practice, he should get all the reps in that game, and as long as everything is smooth, it should be his job once again. But if there are any slips in the next week, Szmyt could certainly have a shot to take the job.