Ahead of their Week 3 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, the Cleveland Browns revealed their injury report, which featured several players, including kicker Andre Szmyt.
The first-year kicker is listed as questionable with a left calf injury, which caught Browns fans off guard. On Friday, Browns kicker Kevin Stefanski said that Szmyt “felt something” during practice and will need an MRI, per Zac Jackson of The Athletic.
It’s never a good sign for a player to have to get an MRI, especially this close to game day. But the Browns' head coach also said that it's “premature” to say whether they’ll bring in kickers for workouts, per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal.
For Stefanski’s sake, he hopes Szymt will be okay. However, if the former St. Louis Battlehawks kicker is out for Sunday’s game, the Browns should immediately give Dustin Hopkins or Cade York a call.
Browns Should Have Dustin Hopkins, Cade York on Speed Dial Following Andre Szmyt’s Injury
The 34-year-old Hopkins seems like the most logical option, as he was just in training camp with the Browns, who cut him at the end of last month.
Hopkins didn’t have a great 2024 season in Cleveland, which left a bad memory in the minds of Browns fans. The veteran kicker made a career-worst 66.7 percent of his field goals (18-of-27) and 85 percent of his extra points (17-of-20).
Hopkins struggled specifically with kicks from 40-plus yards out as he went a combined 9-of-16, which is a far cry from what he did in 2023 with the Browns (18-of-21).
However, one wonders how Browns fans would react to seeing Hopkins on the field, given his struggles in 2024. If Cleveland can’t get Hopkins, then York wouldn’t be a bad choice.
The 24-year-old surprisingly isn’t on an NFL roster, despite spending time with the Washington Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals last year. That said, York is more known for his time in Cleveland, where it was a mixed bag.
In his rookie season with the Browns, the former fourth-round pick made 75 percent of his kicks (24-of-32), but 94.6 percent of his extra points (35-of-37). York missed a few field goals between 30-39 yards (9-of-12) and from 50-plus yards out (4-of-7).
The Browns shockingly parted with York the following summer, as they acquired Hopkins in a trade from the Los Angeles Chargers. He did not get another year to improve from his rookie year.
Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see what the Browns ultimately do at the kicker spot, as they don’t have much time to pick a potential replacement.