The Cleveland Browns are perpetually working to climb their way out of the basement of the AFC North standings, and that is where they find themselves entering Week 2 after suffering a 17-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in their season opener.
While all the blame cannot be placed on his shoulders following that loss, it would be relatively easy to point fingers in the direction of Browns kicker Andre Szmyt if fans were looking for a scapegoat. Whenever a team loses a game by a single point and the placekicker fails to convert on a field goal and an extra point, that player is going to find themselves squarely under the microscope.
With that being the case, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski publicly backed his kicker before Week 2's clash with the Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately, that public backing is also sending a horrible message to the fans.
According to Mary Kay-Cabot of Cleveland.com, Stefanski gave his kicker a vote of confidence while speaking with the media on Monday morning. He noted that Szmyt is a young kicker who, despite being three years removed from his collegiate career at Syracuse, is expected to improve over time. The Browns HC also confirmed that there would be no change at the kicker position before Week 2.
Kevin Stefanski Puts Himself Unwinnable Situation with Andre Szmyt Backing
No coach wants to show signs of uncertainty in himself or the roster decisions that were made coming out of training camp because a player has a lackluster showing in Week 1. When one is dealing with a 26-year-old who is in his first season as an NFL placekicker, though, they don't necessarily need to tread as lightly as Stefanski is with Szmyt.
This is an unwinnable situation for Stefanski for two reasons. First and foremost, his job is to win football games for the Browns, and Szmyt actively hurt that from happening in the team's season opener. Next, by keeping Szmyt on the roster, he is expressing that losses and similar miscues are acceptable. That surely won't motivate the defense as they did their job against the Bengals, holding that dynamic offense to just 17 points.
Plain and simple, this is how a coach loses a roster. Things get tough enough in a locker room when losses begin to pile up, and knowing that the coaching staff isn't actively going to address those issues that rear their ugly heads isn't exactly a morale booster.
Cleveland's front office may be comfortable with another lost season as long as it results in a top pick in the 2026 NFL draft. The players, however, don't have that same job security, and that could lead to Stefanski losing the locker room sooner rather than later if he continues to deploy individuals who don't deserve playing time.