The Cleveland Browns need to be careful not to make the same mistake again.
They’re sticking with kicker Andre Szmyt despite his woes in Week 1, and that could come back to haunt them.
However, special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone still believes in him.
“He’s done a really good job since he’s been here. We have a lot of confidence in him. Had a good practice yesterday. I have confidence that he’s going to get it right,” Ventrone said.
#Browns STC Bubba Ventrone on sticking with K Andre Szmyt pic.twitter.com/RXE9AKUUB4
— Fred Greetham (@FredGreetham9) September 11, 2025
That’s valid, and perhaps Szmyt was just dealing with a case of the jitters in his first NFL game.
Then again, the Browns have struggled with subpar kicking for years.
They held on to Dustin Hopkins longer than they should’ve because of his early success and steep salary, and that was a mistake.
Now, Szmyt has already cost them a game they should’ve won, missing an extra point and a field goal against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Cleveland offense looked better than anticipated, but scoring opportunities likely will still be few and far between, so they simply can’t afford to leave points on the field because they can’t make routine kicks.
It’s fair to give Szmyt another chance after he had a strong training camp and preseason, especially if he’s also looked sharp in practice.
But if he misses another kick, the Browns could move on.
They can’t have a long leash with a kicker anymore, even if that means a revolving door will spin throughout the season.
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