The Cleveland Browns were triumphant in their season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, beating them 20-18 thanks in part to a field goal from Andre Szmyt. His 49-yard field goal as time expired gave them the slight lead and ended this painful season on a high note. Now, Szmyt is talking about what it felt like to come through for his team at such a crucial moment.
He is very happy that he got to share that with his fellow players, because he doesn’t know how many of them will be back next year.
“It feels good. Full-circle moment. To end the season on that note, it feels great. Do it with the guys, you know? You don’t know who you’re going to be with next year. It could be a completely different team, but to end on a high note and do it for the guys and just come together feels amazing,” Szmyt said.
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) January 9, 2026
It was a solid season for Szmyt, who was 23-of-25 with his field goals on the year. Again and again, he showed that the Browns were smart to select him as the starting kicker, beating out Dustin Hopkins.
Of course, it didn’t start out perfectly, and Szmyt received a lot of negative attention after missing a field goal in Week 1. But he quite literally found his footing and is much more comfortable in this role.
As an exclusive rights free agent, he will likely be back with the Browns next season, but he doesn’t know who he will be playing with. As mentioned in his comments, there is a chance that Cleveland shakes things up in the offseason.
Some of the players that Szmyt has grown so close to this year could be headed to different locations soon. That is a painful thought, so it makes this final and pivotal moment all the more memorable and important for Szmyt and his teammates.
The Browns are attempting to fill the voids on their roster as well as nurture the talent they already have. Szmyt is showing he’s one of the players to hold onto and give more responsibilities to in 2026.
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