The Cleveland Browns were a complete disaster in various aspects during the 2024 season. One area that perhaps went under the radar amidst the chaos was the kicking struggles. The Browns were the worst-kicking team in the NFL last season, and they haven't done anything to address their glaring need so far.
Dustin Hopkins was a major disappointment in his second season in Cleveland after signing a three-year extension with the Browns in the 2024 offseason. In 16 games with the team, he converted only 18 of his 27 field goal attempts. The putrid 66.7% conversion rate ranked him dead last in the NFL among starting kickers. In addition, he missed three extra-point attempts out of 20 tries.
This creates an obvious need for an upgrade in the position. Fortunately for the Browns, they will have the chance to bring in a Super Bowl champion kicker who was just released.
We have released K Matt Gay.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 10, 2025
Browns Should Target Recently Released Kicker Matt Gay
The Indianapolis Colts announced on Thursday that they were releasing Matt Gay. Two years after signing Gay to a massive four-year extension that was the largest free-agent contract ever for a kicker at the time, the Colts decided to part ways with the 31-year-old.
While Gay hasn't lived up to the expectations over the last two years, he is still a more reliable kicker than Hopkins. As a Colt, he converted 82.1% of his field goals while only missing one extra point attempt in 69 tries. Throughout his tenure with the Rams, not only did Gay make the Pro Bowl and win a Super Bowl, but he was also the most accurate kicker in the league in a two-year stretch.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski surprisingly refused to bench Hopkins during his struggles last season. He demonstrated faith in the veteran kicker despite Hopkins consistently failing him. Whether he will continue to do so or consider replacing him with Gay or another competent kicker remains to be seen.