Sunday’s loss saw Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins‘ 2024 struggles continue. No thought is being given to finding a replacement at this time, though. 
“He’s our kicker,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said after Cleveland’s 27-14 loss to Pittsburgh (via Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal). “We expect him to make those. He’s a veteran. He’s a pro. I expect him to work through it. He’s our kicker.”
Hopkins missed field goal attempts of 38 and 45 yards while the Browns were trailing 13-7, continuing his accuracy struggles endured through much of the campaign. The 34-year-old has connected on only 16 of 25 attempts in 2024, including five misses from inside 50 yards. Hopkins’ overall accuracy rate of 64% is by far the lowest of his career and it represents a stark contrast to his success from last season.
The former sixth-rounder missed only three of his 36 field goal tries last year, and he went 8-for-8 beyond 50 yards. That success helped land Hopkins a three-year, $15.9MM extension during the summer, a deal which obviously created high expectations for 2024 and beyond. The Florida State product sits in a tie for eighth in terms of annual average compensation amongst kickers, but like a number of the players ahead of him in that regard he has not enjoyed a strong campaign. Cleveland is 3-10 and Sunday’s loss officially knocked the team out of postseason contention.
Hopkins’ contract includes $2.8MM in guaranteed compensation for 2025, and even a post-June 1 release would not create salary cap savings (although the $3.5MM dead money charge it would generate is not an unrealistic figure to absorb). As a result, it comes as little surprise Stefanski is publicly backing him as the Browns prepare to play out the final weeks of a lost season. If Hopkins manages to rebound down the stretch, he will help his chances of offseason competition not being brought in. Failing that, however, his status could be a talking point during the spring.
The Browns didn’t want to replace DeShaun Watson either…..
The Browns haven’t replaced Watson…
Well, for now they have. they had too lol
The ones who need replaced are Stefanski and Berry.
They’ll take the fall but much like Carolina (who’s at least finally showing life) didn’t Haslam push for that awful trade?
No, actually. It was Berry, who also pushed for the contract to be fully guaranteed.
I don’t doubt that Berry was the one who came up with that idea but I’m under the impression that Haslam pretty much forced him to do whatever it took to get him. I haven’t seen that reported anywhere so I’m speculating, but I personally believe that’s what happened.
If your boss forced you to do something and threatened your job otherwise, you’d probably get creative too.
It makes no sense to replace him. The team isn’t competing for anything. Why throw away money and pay someone else to kick (miss?) meaningless field goals in meaningless games. You’re paying Hopkins regardless, you might as well make him earn his paycheck.
Ride it out, keep losing games to secure a good draft position, and address it in the off-season. Who knows, maybe he bounces back and corrects his issues himself.
I agree with you and ironically Hopkins 64% success rate on FGs this season is better than Lou Groza’s career mark of 57.8%…and Groza is enshrined in Canton.
Thats because Lou Groza played his first 13 years as an offensive tackle. get your facts straight