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 percent 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-of-8 beyond 50 yards. That success helped land Hopkins a three-year, $15.9M extension during the summer, a deal that 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 $2.8M in guaranteed compensation for 2025, and even a post-June 1 release would not create salary-cap savings (although the $3.5M 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.
